This House Is Not My Home
by januarysblu
Summary: After spending the best year of his life with Mr. Turner, Shawn's father returns and wants him back. Torn between the two Shawn must make the biggest decision of his young life, will he do the right thing?
1. Default Chapter

"This House Is Not My Home"  
  
By Januarysblu  
  
  
  
Setting: Set during the John Adams days, I guess the High School years. This story will be a bit AU to serve my own purposes; so if it's not 100% accurate, please don't be offended.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World, I just love the concept. All the main characters are the product of someone else and were not created by me. I'm just borrowing them for my story.  
  
Authors Notes: This is my very first fanfic, so please be kind, I would however love a review, you can be brutally honest, but please don't be mean, I'm a bit of a softy. Also I'm a huge drama queen, melodrama is in my blood.  
  
Dedication: This is dedicated to all the talented writers who are brave enough to post their stories, I've read every one on this page and come back to visit all the time, I'm a huge fan.Please keep up the good work!!  
  
  
  
Now on to the story, enjoy and let me know what you think!! 


	2. Chapter 1 Im Not A Gambler!

The January wind howled fiercely outside the fifth floor apartment window, as Jonathan Turner taped the top of the last cardboard box closed. Shawn Hunter sat silent on the bed. His eyes scanning the almost empty room he called his own for nearly a year now. He nervously played with the trusty magic eight ball that used to sit on the nightstand beside his bed.  
  
Jon turned to face the solemn fourteen-year-old boy, "You know what Hunter? You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Just say the word, I'll get on the horn with Kelly at DHS, you stay with me as long as you want." Shawn hung his head and shrugged, his brown hair hanging in his dark blue eyes, "No.. My dad's back, and my place is with him. As much as I love it here.. I mean.Come on Jon, we both knew it was only temporary." Shawn pouted as he silently asked the eight ball a question and peered at the answer. Sighing, he tossed it behind him onto the mattress.  
  
Jonathan stood and wiped his hands on his blue jeans, "Okay, whatever you say kiddo, now get cleaned up or we're gonna be late for the hockey game. Eli cashed in a big favor to get us these tickets; we're right behind the players bench. You get dressed and I'll call The Matthews', they said they'd meet us right outside the doors at seven o'clock." Shawn smiled as he leapt from the bed and hurried out the door. Turner watched as he left, trying desperately to hide the lump welling in his throat. He rubbed his hands through his wavy dark hair, biting his lip he thought to himself, "Why did you have to come back, Chet! Why couldn't you just stay away?"  
  
Cory and Alan waited anxiously outside the Spectrum doors for Jon and Shawn to arrive; it was two minutes shy of seven, but time seemed to stand still in the frigid winter weather. Both the Matthews' men were bundled to the hilt with hats, scarves, gloves and many layers, but the icy chill still seemed to creep through. Just before hypothermia set in, Jon and Shawn came strutting up the path, along with hundreds of other hockey fans ready for the big game. Both had their trademark leather jackets and both clutched motorcycle helmets in their gloved hands.  
  
"You guys took the Harley, are you NUTS!!" Alan yelled as he greeted the pair. "Well we weren't gonna walk, not in this weather." Jon responded as he shook Alan's hand. "I would have swung by and picked you up, you should' a said something over the phone." Alan said as he slapped Jonathan on the back. Cory and Shawn huddled together, already babbling and giggling as the four made their way through the turnstiles into the arena. "It's no problem, Alan.. Besides Shawn loves riding on the bike, he gets such a charge out of it; I figured it was worth it just to see his face.. Ya know one last ride for old time sake." Alan nodded, well aware of the situation at hand.  
  
The kids remained in their seats as the guys went for refreshments. Cory and Shawn both couldn't believe how close to the ice they actually were, two rows from the bench, it was a dream come true for both. The line at the beer stand was packed as Jon and Alan seized a quick moment away from the boys to talk. "So Jon, I got to ask you, are you okay with this? I mean it's been almost a year and he's going to show up out of the blue and expect to just throw Shawn back into that hell hole he calls a life??"  
  
Turner winced and shifted uncomfortably in place, "What can I do, he's not my son. As much as I want to keep him, I can't. Chet is his father and he has the right to ask for the kid back, I have no legal grounds to stand in his way! Besides, I couldn't bring myself to put Shawn through a custody fight, he's been through enough already."  
  
Alan shook his head in frustration, "You have every right to stand in his way. He's a lousy father, he can't keep a job, he drinks like a fish, he takes off for weeks at a time.He has absolutely no regard for that boy's well being. I've known the Hunters since Cory and Shawn started kindergarten together, he's no good, Jon. Trust me, this is not in Shawn's best interest, not by a long shot!" Jonathan cringed at the thought as the two slowly moved forward in the line. "Look Alan, I know Shawn's quality of life with Chet is not stellar, but the man wants Shawn back, and DHS already told me he deserves a second chance."  
  
Mr. Matthews groaned "Oh PLEASE! A second chance! DHS is full of crap Jon! Where were they when Shawn used to drag his father from the bar stool and help him home drunk at two in the morning on a school night. Where were they when Chet would gamble away what little money they would have and Shawn would have to resort to stealing food from the Market Giant just to eat something every few days. Like I said, I've know this family since Shawn was a baby and some of the things I saw that kid endure would make your hair stand up. He's a good boy, he deserves better.. He deserves you, and you deserve to have him. You're the best thing that ever happened to that kid. Jon smiled as the two reached the counter. Alan began ordering as Turner pondered over his encouraging words.  
  
Cory leaned forward in his seat as he took his bright red, hypoallergenic coat off. Both boys were looking around in awe as people filed past filling the seats of the arena, "This is SO AWESOME Shawnie, I mean I've been to games before but not like this, I mean COME ON!!! This is GREAT!! Usually the players are the size of ants from way up in the third level where we usually sit, not tonight though, no nosebleed section for us!!!" Cory excitedly rubbed his hands together as he glanced back at Shawn, who seemed a million miles away. "EARTH TO SHAWN!! COME IN SHAWN." Cory joked as he waved a hand in front of Shawn's face, snapping him back to reality.  
  
"Sorry Cor, I was just looking around, I never been to a game, just watched them on T.V." Shawn smiled as he looked around, "I guess I'd better enjoy this it's gonna be my last one." Cory dawned a confused expression, "What are you talking about we'll go to more games, don't be stupid?" Shawn shrugged, "Face it Cor, I'm only here cause Jon brought me, come tomorrow, I'm back to being the old Shawn Hunter, the person I almost forgot I was." Cory sat back down to look Shawn in the eye. He knew that all too familiar tone in his best friends voice. "Shawn, this all happened so suddenly, I never really got a chance to talk to you about it, Do you want to go back with your dad?" Cory asked a bit worried.  
  
"I thought I did, When I picked up the phone last week and heard his voice, I got so excited man, I thought, finally he's come back for me, finally were gonna get the chance to have the relationship I always wanted, I mean he's got a local job at the packing plant. He bought our trailer back, he sounded really great, and it made me feel good. My last meeting with Kelly from DHS was cool, she told me all the stuff my dad planned for us and I couldn't wait to see him again. Then.I was coming home from school and I passed the Double Diamond, the bar my dad used to hang out at.. and I saw the pickup in the parking lot.. I almost lost it. I'm sure he was in there Cory, I know he was there." Shawn closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A look of fear shadowed his face.  
  
Cory furrowed his brow, "Did you tell Turner this? Maybe you could get them to change their minds, you know how your dad is when he's on the sauce Shawn, it only means bad news all around." Shawn nodded in agreement, "I know how he was, maybe it will be different this time, maybe just a little will be enough for him, but regardless, I can't tell anyone and neither can you. This is my last chance to have a go with my dad, if anyone finds out he's boozing again, I'm a ward of the state for sure, I mean for god's sake Cory I can end up in a boys home, I'd rather live on the street than live there." Cory snickered, "Shawn, what are you talking about, they'll keep you with Turner, you go on living just the way you have, isn't that what you want."  
  
Shawn rolled his eyes, "Cory, face it, Turner doesn't really want me. It's okay I'm fine with that.When they listed my status as officially abandoned, Turner had the chance to file for adoption and he didn't, he signed a temporary agreement instead, which means as soon as he gets sick of me it's off to an orphanage, I cant spend the next four years of my life worrying about that, I got to give my dad a chance now, while he's here. I know Jon cares about me, and he really went out of his way to do good by me, but like all good things, it will come to an end. I'd love to stay with Turner, but if I turn my back on my dad now and Turner gives me the boot, I'm really screwed, so I got to go, I have no choice."  
  
Cory sighed, "I really don't know all the details about your arrangement with Mr. Turner, but I still think if you ask him to stay, he'll say yeah!! Come on Shawn you and Jon are inseparable, why wouldn't he want to keep things like they are, both you guys are doing great, you both seem really happy!" Shawn clenched his fists in frustration, "I can't ask him to keep me Cory, and I would never put Jon on the spot like that! I already owe him too much, besides he would never admit he didn't want me to my face, he's not that kind of guy, he would suck it up and keep me out of pity, even if deep down it wasn't what he wanted. I can't do that to Jonathan; I can't ruin his life for the sake of my own. I'll be eighteen in four years, that's not such a long time. My dad blew in out of the blue and made the decision for us all, I got to take this chance Cor, unlike my old man, I'm not a gambler."  
  
Shawn glanced over Cory's shoulder to see Jon and Alan walking down the stairs, their arms loaded with food and drinks. Shawn motioned to Cory to zip his lips as the men approached. Just as they reached the seats the lights dimmed and the players took the ice. Music blared from the arena speakers. As the players whizzed around, the crowd erupted into a cheering frenzy. Shawn shook the terrifying thoughts from his mind as he watched the warm up, determined to enjoy this night, uncertain of what lay ahead of him. He was sure of only one thing, he would remember this experience, this one night, for the rest of his life. What he didn't notice was Cory glaring at him with an angry expression or Alan and Jonathan shooting each other peculiar glances. What he didn't see was right in front of him, three distinct people who would do anything for him. What he didn't know was that Jon's heart was breaking at the thought of letting go. Never gamble more than you're willing to risk. One wrong roll of the dice and you can loose it all. 


	3. Chapter 2 Promise Me That!

The bell for third period sounded as students scurried through the halls of John Adams High School. The Cheerleading Squad was busy hanging brightly colored banners throughout the main hall to decorate for the upcoming pep rally. Libby Harper rolled the stage crew ladder right up next to Shawn as he waited for Cory to open his Locker. Cory jiggled the handle, but the locker remained closed. "Why can't I get this thing OPEN?" Cory shouted, as he scratched his curly head.  
  
Shawn ignored his pleas, making eye contact with Libby as she slowly climbed the rungs of the ladder. He smiled as she reached the top. She returned his gesture with a wink and began taping streamers overhead. The sound of Cory's head banging on the metal locker brought Shawn right out of his flirtatious trance. "Maybe third time's a charm Cory, here let me try it." Shawn laughed as he spun the lock and began turning in the combo.  
  
Just then Topanga bounded up to the duo, "Hey you guys, didja have fun last night, I heard we kicked Buffalo's Butt, wiped the ice with them!" Cory smiled and greeted his girl with a peck on the cheek. "We had the greatest time, all of us. The game was awesome, and my dad let us stay over to get my jersey autographed, it was really cool." Cory explained, just as Shawn popped the door open. "Voila! See Cor, you just need the right touch."  
  
Shawn turned his gaze skyward as he caught Libby staring at him again. "Don't look now Shawn, but I think she's flirting with you, rumor has it Shawn Hunter is back on the market. Jennifer Marcum told me you broke up with Dana last week?" Topanga asked as she tugged on Shawn's sleeve. Shawn bit his lip and sighed, "Yeah, you know it's been two weeks and I kind'a thought we needed a break." Topanga rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah.. The old two week rule huh, you'll never change will ya, Shawn?"  
  
The final bell sounded startling Shawn, "Oh man, I gotta roll, Social Studies!! We get our compositions back today and I'm dying to know what I got!! Catch you guys at lunch.later!" Shawn yelled over his shoulder as he ran down the hall. Topanga smirked, "Or maybe you have changed." She commented to herself as she turned to Cory, "Am I dreaming, or was Shawn Hunter actually excited about homework!!" Cory smiled, Your not dreaming darling, he's been working really hard at his schoolwork. Mr. Turner promised him if he brings at least three subject up to B's on the next quarter report card, he would take Shawn skiing up the mountains." Topanga grinned as she locked elbows with Cory, the two made their way to study hall. "Not only that, hang onto your hat, your not gonna believe this one.Shawn tried out for intramural soccer and made the team, his first game is Saturday!" Cory beamed with pride as he bragged about his best buddy.  
  
"GET OUT!" Topanga shouted in shock, playfully pushing Cory through the door of the auditorium. "Oh MY GOSH!! We must go see him play!!.This can't be the same Shawn Hunter, you would have to bribe the boy just to dress for gym, now he's gonna spend a precious Saturday actually doing something, let alone SPORTS!!" Topanga's eyes went wide as she settled in next to Cory. He nodded as he opened his science book, upside down of course. "I'm telling you Topanga, my Shawn is moving up in the world.I just hope he keeps it up after he's home for a while, I'm terrified that all his hard work over the last year is gonna fade away when he has to devote his time and energy on the crazy crap he puts up with. living with his dad."  
  
Topanga sighed at the remark, "You think it's gonna be the same this time?" She questioned, as she scribbled into her blank copybook. "Of course it will, I mean leopards don't change their spots, Topanga! Shawn's dad is never gonna be the kinda guy who actually cares about anything but himself, I mean he's got four kids by three different women, spread all over the place. Shawn's sister Stacey is on drugs and living with some guy in Jersey City, Shawn's brother Eddie has already done time, the only Hunter that even had a chance was Jack, and that's because when his mother ran, she had the decency to take him with her. I honestly believe the only reason Shawn's done as well as he has is because he's got us to lean on, everything Chet Hunter goes near seems to fall apart."  
  
Topanga frowned, looking down into her book, "Well then I guess, it's up to us to keep a close eye on him and make sure he stays okay. We have to pull together and protect him, a pair of musketeers just doesn't sound right!" Cory nodded, "We gotta make sure our tricycle doesn't turn into a bicycle!" A loud "SSSSHHHH" Interrupted the conversation as Old Lady Palmer; the study moderator motioned to the teens to quiet down. "Were studying Miss Palmer, I swear." Cory answered as he held his upside down book. A few sorted giggles echoed through the auditorium. Miss Palmer placed her hands forcefully on her hips.She wasn't amused.  
  
Ms. Tompkins handed the compositions out row by row as Shawn squirmed in his seat. Just as she got to his desk, she could see the sweat beginning to bead on his anxious forehead. She glanced at the paper and raised her eyebrow, "Drum roll please!!" She stated, as she turned to the class, a few students began knocking their pencils on the desk. She dramatically waved the composition in the air and placed it in front of Shawn. By this time his eyes were looking straight up at the ceiling. As he slowly looked toward the paper, his jaw dropped...YES!!! He exclaimed as a bright red 'A' stared back at him.  
  
The class erupted in cheers as Ms. Tompkins laughed, "Is that your first one, Hunter?" She asked with an attractive grin. Shawn nodded and smiled. "Well, you certainly deserve it, you should be proud of yourself kid.the hard work paid off!!" She extended her hand and shook Shawn's vigorously. "Now enough shenanigans, lets get busy folks, we got a lot of ground to cover!!" Ms. Tompkins returned to the head of the class as Shawn stared at his paper with pride. He returned his attention to the class and noticed Libby Harper blow him a kiss from across the room. He blushed and playfully winked at the beautiful, popular, blonde who seemed to finally notice him after all this time.  
  
Later that evening Jonathan washed the last of the dinner dishes as Eli and Shawn settled in on the couch. Eli Williams was Jonathan's very best friend. The two have been inseparable since college. He often dropped by to hang out with his closest buddy, their relationship paralleled Cory and Shawn very closely. Mr. Williams flicked on the evening news as Shawn grabbed his backpack and began to unload a few textbooks. "Please Hunter, don't tell me you can actually read those things?" Shawn snickered sarcastically at the remark. "Not only can I read them, my good man, but apparently someone thinks I understand them!!" Shawn pulled his composition from the backpack and held it high so Jon could see from the kitchen. Eli stretched his neck so he could get a good look at the grade.  
  
"I see it but I don't believe it." Eli stated with awe. Jon squinted to see as he dried his hands with a dishtowel. Shawn grinned with pride as Turner hurried from the kitchen, rolling down his sleeves. He grabbed the composition from the young mans hand. Glancing at the grade than down at his charge, he winked. "I knew you could do it!! I knew you were capable all along, you better start waxing up that snowboard kid, cause I have a feeling were gonna be heading up the Pocono's soon." Eli patted Shawn on the back as Jonathan tossled the boy's dark hair. The three giggled, Shawn grabbed Jon's tie and pulled the tall man down so he can look him in the eye, "I'm gonna hold you to that Jon." He warned. The two stared face to face for a few seconds, before Turner grabbed Shawn in a headlock and began to tickle him. Eli laughed as he began the play by play. "Turner's going for the pin.Hunter is fading, he has him on the ropes...it looks like this could be it ladies and gentlemen!!!.BUT WHATS THIS!!! Hunter has a burst of energy, the tide has turned." Just as Eli was going to declare a winner, the phone rang from the desk. Eli yanked the receiver to his ear and cheerfully greeted, "Jonnie and Shawn's House, this is Eli, their faithful butler."  
  
Eli's smile faded as he raised the phone toward Shawn, "It's for you kid." Shawn shrugged as he rose from the couch. Turning his back on Jon and Eli, he answered, "Hello.....Oh!! Hey Dad.....he looked at the two men staring at him as he began a short conversation. Noticing they were hanging on his every word, he nonchalantly slipped into the other room. His voice faded to just a dull hum, no words could be heard. Jon sighed and plopped onto the couch, rubbing his eyes. Eli noticed the nervousness in his friends gesture and joined him. "I know this is tough on ya amigo. I'm here for ya if you need to talk."  
  
Jon glanced at the other room with worried eyes, "No I'm okay, Chet said he was coming tonight after his shift was over to get Shawn. We've been dancing around the subject all night. I know he's excited about seeing his dad, but I think he feels bad to show excitement in front of me, hence the little Houdini disappearing act into the other room." John shook his head and folded his arms. "The kid pined for that man for months after he left, I know this is what's best, it's just.Well.I've gotten so used to him being here, It's gonna take time adjusting to the fact that he's leaving."  
  
Eli smiled, "Jon you never cease to amaze me, just admit, you love the kid and get it over with." Turner's eyes went wide as he turned his head in confusion, "Williams, I don't know WHAT you're talking about, you know me Eli, I'm a young solo bachelor.I just got to remember how to act like one again." Eli smiled on the outside, but an eerie feeling crept into the pit of his stomach. He made a mental note to watch his buddy very carefully over the next few weeks; all is not what it seemed.  
  
Eli gathered his things as Shawn emerged from the next room. "I think I'll give you two some privacy, you both have some things to do before the nights over, take it easy boys and I'll see you both Saturday at the game. Shawn returned the phone to the desk and joined Jon on the couch.  
  
"He'll be here in an hour to pick me up, he's brining the pickup so we can put my stuff in the back." Shawn announced as he turned to his guardian. Turner nodded and cleared his throat. "Look Hunter, I just want to tell you one thing. I care about you very much.Having you with me hasn't been easy and We've had our ups and downs over the last year, but If I had it to do all over again.I wouldn't change a thing!! You're an exceptional kid, Shawn.. I'm so proud of you and I'm lucky I got the chance to get to know you and share in your life." Jon reached under the couch and pulled out a wrapped box. "I just wanted to give you this, to show you how proud I am of all you've become this past year." Jonathan placed the box in Shawn's hands, the boy stared open jawed at the man, not able to grasp what was unfolding around him.  
  
His insides ached as he opened the package. His deep blue eyes welled with tears. In the fourteen years since he's been alive no other human being has ever been so sincere and caring to him as this man at this moment. This is the kind of love Shawn dreamed of, ached for since he was a child, it was surreal, he wasn't sure it was happening. He felt his hands begin to shake as he dug under the tissue paper and parted the seems to reveal a brand new pair of certified leather cleats, black with a white tracks. "Oh my god!!" He whispered, his throat closing with emotion. He bit his lip and sniffled, looking away, "I can't accept this Jon, I just cant." "YOU WILL!!" Turner retorted as he placed his arm around the shaken boy.  
  
Shawn closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath, thinking to himself, it's now or never!! "Jon Turner!!" He stood up and clenched his fists, "I will never be able to repay you for all you've done for me.I don't know what I've done to deserve this, but I need to tell you.You probably saved my life by taking me in, you've shown me what kind of a person I could be If I just try and apply myself. You're the greatest person I know, and one day if I ever have a kid, I hope I can be a father just like you.. I really do love you Jon.." A single tear rolled down Shawn's cheek as he turned and hid his face. Turner stood up and wrapped his arms around the boy, to comfort him. "I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I love you too Kiddo!!" Just then the buzzer sounded. Jon answered to hear Chet's voice resonate through the speakers, "Let's get a move on I'm freezing down here, Look guys I'm double parked so I can't come up, just bring the stuff down and we'll take off okay??"  
  
Shawn and John each grabbed two boxes and a suitcase and together marched down to the pickup. Shawn didn't notice he had left his gift on the couch. By the time they reached the ground floor Chet had retuned to the cab of the truck, he just waved from behind the wheel of the running vehicle. Shawn and Jon placed the boxes in the back as Chet leaned on the horn. Shawn winced as the squeal echoed through the silent night. He turned to shake Jon's hand, "See ya in school tomorrow okay."  
  
Jon grabbed his hand and pulled him into a bear hug, placing both his hands on Shawn's shoulders he looked directly into the boy's innocent face with vigor, "You call on me any time you need me, I'm going to be right here. Nothings to big or small to come to me with, okay!! Promise me that!!!" Shawn nodded and peeled away from Jon's grip. He eased into the front seat and slammed the door shut. The truck lurched forward as Chet hit the gas, squealing around the corner on two tires, the burning rubber made Jon turn back around. He felt his heart skip a beat as he wondered if he was doing the right thing. 


	4. Chapter 3 You'll Be Good As New!

Immediately Shawn noticed the cab of the truck smelled of whiskey and cigarettes. He grimaced as the all to familiar scent flowed through his nostrils. Dismissing the unpleasant thought right away; he was far too excited to see his father to be disappointed so quickly. Although he aged a bit, Chet still looked the way Shawn had remembered. The boy couldn't help but smile ear to ear at this sight, something he yearned for, for so long. His adrenaline started to kick in as he felt his legs start to bounce.  
  
Shawn's heart was thumping so hard he could hear it beat through his jacket. After over a year he was seated beside his father in the infamous white Chevy pickup. "Dad you look great, how have things been going?" Shawn asked enthusiastically, as he turned the knobs on the radio. "Things are PEACHY!!" Chet answered, his familiar gruff, raspy voice, was music to the young boys ears. "Look at you s-s--slim jim, you musta grown at least a foot since the last time I laid eyes on ya.  
  
Shawn overlooked Chet's slurr, hoping the reunion wouldn't be ruined before it could even begin. However Shawn's conscience began to send his brain messages, "Look out kid, he's drunk." Shawn dismissed his inner thoughts with a shake of his head, "So dad, didja see mom, how is she, where is she, did she ask about me, what's her..."  
  
WHOO, there son!! Easy now, plenty of time for questions about your mudder later, I wanna know whets ahh beeen up wiff you??" Shawn was sure of it now, his dad was plastered. The Chevy swung a hard left onto South Street with a screech. The pickup wavered between two lanes as Chet accelerated to about forty-five miles an hour. Shawn's eyes began to dart in all directions as he fished for his seat belt, "Dad! What's the hurry, you late for a hot date or something?" He asked, his voice oozing with panic. "What in tar nation are ya tall-pin about boy!!" Just then the Chevy blew a stop sign sending another car fishtailing into the intersection leaning on the horn.  
  
Shawn abandoned the seat belt and instinctively raised his arms to his face, bracing for a near collision. "HOLY GOD!! DAD!! Pull over, PULL OVER NOW!!" Shawn screamed, his voice cracking with fear. Chet turned to face his son as he still drove the truck at cruising speed, "What the hell is your problem kid, you been on my case since you boarded this bus!!" Chet continued to keep his eye on Shawn not noticing he was drifting over the yellow line as they neared the Girard overpass. "LOOK OUT!! Shawn yelled as he clawed at the steering wheel, turning the wheel just in time to miss an oncoming truck. The Chevy veered out of control and careened onto the grass medium with a thud, sending Shawn's shoulder sailing into the dash. The truck rolled to a dusty stop as Chet yelled with excitement, WHOOOO WHEEEE!!! THAT WAS SOME RIDE!!! HOT DOG KID!!" Shawn's face twisted with anger as he sprung from the truck and ran to the driver's side. Flinging the door open he slammed his palm on the roof, "GIVE ME THE KEYS!!" He yelled as Chet continued to laugh uncontrollably, "Lighten up Shawn, you used to love joy riding with your old man!!" Shawn failed to see the humor in the situation as he quickly began to shake. The old feeling was returning with lightning speed.  
  
The tears were just about to come to the surface as Shawn willed them away with anger, "Give me the GOD DAMNED KEYS!!" He roared, as Chet stopped laughing and dawned an angry glare. He pulled the keys from the ignition and twirled them up in his index finger. "You got a problem with me KID!" He asked as he wobbly leaned in on the steering wheel. Shawn stepped back and took a deep breath, rubbing his sore shoulder. He exhaled and tried to remain calm, "Please dad!! Just give me the keys; I'll get us home.. I'll take care of this." He pleaded.  
  
"Oh I see".. the inebriated man began. "You'll take care of me!! Not even fifteen minutes in my company and already it starts, you think your better than me, kid??......You think you got one up on CHET!!!.Well let me tell you Shawn, you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me!! No GOOD......GOOD FOR NOTHING LITTLE." Chet began to growl as Shawn prepared for the worst. Chet's eyes began to roll around as he wavered. He balled the keys into a fist and forcefully threw them with all his might, catching Shawn right over the eye. The keys bounced off as the boy clasped his face in pain and folded to one knee. Releasing a small muffled cry, Shawn's eyes shut tight. He felt the warm blood flow through his fingers quickly.  
  
"God give me strength!" Shawn muttered as he checked his hands in the glare of the headlights, only crimson shone back. Chet leaned in and rested his head on the wheel, faintly mumbling to himself. Shawn grabbed the keys from the grass and stood on shaky legs, lifting his shirt, he wiped his brow and advanced toward the truck. Chet remained passed out cold behind the wheel. Shawn unbuckled the seat belt and pushed his father over. Chet flopped like a beached whale onto the seat as Shawn slid in behind the wheel. Tears and blood streaming down his cheeks; he wiped his nose and sniffled. "Good Times, huh pop??" Shawn started the truck and eased out onto the asphalt, praying to god, a cop wouldn't happen by. He pulled the parking brake and moved the seat forward as far as it could go. His father began to snore and wheeze from the passenger side. Shawn shook his head in awe and adjusted the rear view mirror, "Good thing I've been driving since I was twelve, huh Chet?" he questioned the silence beside him. Checking for oncoming traffic, Shawn put the stick in first gear and eased off the clutch. Homeward bound. God help him he was homeward bound.  
  
Shawn pulled the truck to a halt in the gravel drive next to his trailer. Shutting off the ignition he sank back into the seat and stared. There it was in all its glory.His old trailer. It looked exactly the same, even the same chuck wagon curtains hung in the front window. It was like a nightmare. Shawn opened the squeaky door and leapt from the truck. The trailer park was silent, except for the hum of the crickets and the busy traffic of the nearby off-ramp. Shawn wiped at his eyebrow again, noticing the blood thickening, he spit into the grass as he staggered up the gravel path. Yanking the door open he pounded closed fist onto the window of the trailer across the way. Dogs began to bark and howl at the unfamiliar sound.  
  
A few moments later a light shone through the frosted glass as Frankie Stecchino opened the door. Shawn's rotund classmate stood on the front step in shock at the sight before him. "Shawn!!! What the hell happened to you??" He questioned as he let the weary teen into his home. Shawn tottered into the living room and plopped onto the ratty sofa, still holding his blood soaked eye. Frankie knelt beside the boy and moved in for a closer look. Just then Big Frank came from the back room. "Shawnie, what's going on, where's your old man??" He asked peering through the curtains.  
  
"He's in the pickup, out cold.. Could you help me get him in the house, Mr. Stecc.OOOWWW!!" Shawn screamed as Frankie pushed at his eyebrow, the deep gash opened wider as fresh blood began to pour from the wound. Mr. Stecchino returned his attention to Shawn, "No sweat kid, I'll get him inside, Frankie you patch up Shawn." Just then Frankie's little brother Herman ran from the back room. "Oh MY Shawn, you look positively ragged!!" He exclaimed as he folded his hands. "Herman, get Shawn a drink, and bring me the first aid kit." Frankie yelled as he snapped his fingers. The chunky child hopped to it as Frankie held a towel to Shawn's eye, "Oh man, Hunter your going to have a huge shiner in the morning!!" Herman brought the first aid kit and handed it to Frankie; Shawn remained on the couch, eyes closed, and silent. Frankie placed two butterfly bandages over Shawn's eyebrow and held a towel hard to his head. The pressure made Shawn's head beat hard and his stomach swim with nausea. He swung his arm in protest to the pain as Frankie swatted it away, "Back off Hunter, just let me do this." Before long the bleeding was subsiding.  
  
Big Frank bounded into the trailer as the door slammed shut; "I got him into bed Shawnie, no worries okay buddy! Now let me get a good look at that eye." The gigantic man leaned in and examined Shawn's face. The wrestler grunted, "Not to bad, probably could use a stitch or two, but you could get away without it." Herman waddled in and held a soda up for Shawn. Shawn went to grab the can with his right hand and winced. Slumping back down into the sofa, he let out a yelp. Frankie and his father exchanged glances. At that, young Frankie stood and closed in behind Shawn, softly lifting the boy forward on the couch.  
  
Big Frank unzipped the blood soaked jacket and gently eased it off Shawn shoulders. Frankie started to unbutton Shawn's flannel shirt, as Herman came from the kitchen with an icepack. Frankie undid the last button; parting the shirt it revealed a large yellowish purple bruise forming on Shawn's shoulder and chest. "Hellfire!!" Big Frank exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock, "What he hit ya with Boy a barbell??" he questioned as he grabbed the icepack from Herman. He placed it onto Shawn's shoulder. The boy shuddered in pain and gasped, a tear escaping his eye.  
  
"Shawnie, I need ya to move your fingers, for me??" Shawn silently abided as he extended his right hand and waved his fingers in the air. "Cool it looks like nothings broken in there, ya wanna go to the hospital kid??" Big Frank questioned. Shawn shook his head no and opened his bloodshot swollen eyes. "You can stay the night, just rest there, and you'll be good as new by morning." Shawn nodded wearily, as Herman began to unlace his shoes. Young Frankie came and placed a crocheted blanket across Shawn's waist. He sank with a thud onto the couch next to Shawn, "So what do you want me to tell Cory tomorrow."  
  
Shawn exhaled and shook his head in disbelief, "How the hell am I gonna explain this one??" Frankie reached out and handed Shawn the soda. Shrugging the large boy smiled, whatever you come up with, I'm on board, okay Hunter." Shawn shot Frankie the thumbs up and collapsed back onto the couch, falling into a deep sleep. 


	5. Chapter 4 Fight For Him!

Frankie nudged Shawn, who was still asleep on the couch. "Hunter, wake up, your dad's outside." Shawn opened his eyes, just barely. He could see the outline of his right eye from the left one, not a good sign. "What time is it?" Shawn asked a bit disoriented. "Frankie glanced at his watch, "Almost six in the morning, oh man, I should still be dreaming." Frankie sighed and sluggishly wandered back into his bedroom. Shawn slowly rose to his feet, clutching his sore shoulder. Although the burning pain subsided, it was still pretty stiff. Shawn stepped out the front door to see his father talking with Mr. Stecchino. Although he couldn't hear what they were saying he could tell Big Frankie was angry.  
  
The two men turned their attention to him as he made his way down the steps to the ground. Mr. Stecchino cut in front of him and returned to the trailer in a huff, the door slamming shut behind him. "Hey Slim.Man I guess I really did a number on ya last night huh boy?" Chet queried, as he moved a bit closer to his son. Shawn rolled his eyes and shrugged, "YA THINK??" He asked sarcastically as he gently stroked his eye. "Chet folded his hands in front of him in a pleading motion, "Shawnie, I can't tell you how sorry I am..I went way overboard last night and I would do anything to take it back."  
  
Shawn grimaced as he experienced major déjà vu. "My God, how many times are we going to have this same conversation!! Over and over you do things like this and over and over, I'm stupid enough to think it will never happen again." Shawn folded his arms in anger and leaned against the corrugated trailer. He immediately regretted the movement as his shoulder began to throb. He groaned and cradled his arm, instinctively turning away.  
  
Chet advanced quickly realizing Shawn's discomfort. He gently placed his arm around the boy apologetically. Shawn closed his eyes and pouted. Chet squeezed the back of his neck, as Shawn began to pull away. His heart skipped a beat as he realized his father was attempting to embrace him, but his soul told him not to be fooled. "Shawn, please.I know I hurt you, I'm so sorry..Please just let me try to make it up to you son!! Kid I love you so much, I would never hurt you intentionally. I just didn't know what I was doing last night, I can't even remember any of it."  
  
Shawn swung around and broke away from Chet's grip. His brow furrowed in anger, his breathing deep and steady. "THAT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT OKAY!!! THE FACT THAT YOU CAN"T REMEMBER ONLY MAKES IT THAT MUCH WORSE!!" Shawn kicked the step and slammed his fist onto the side of the trailer. "God dad, you may have took off on me or forgot about me or even ditched me on more than one occasion, but I never feared you. I never was afraid to be near you!!" Shawn screamed into the early morning silence with vigor. "Sure, you've gotten a bit rough sometimes, and hurt me without realizing it. When I was ten and you broke my arm the first time, I knew in my heart it was an accident. I felt so bad when they came and took me away from you and mom, cause I knew you didn't mean it. It just happened."  
  
Shawn sat down on the step as Chet hung his head and listened. "But this. This was totally different!! You hurt me, you got so angry with me you lashed out and came after me and that scares the hell out of me. I don't trust you when you're drunk. Plain and simple!! When your drunk it's like a crapshoot, is it a good drunk, where you're all jolly and lighthearted and we laugh and have a good time just being stupid together, then we fall asleep wherever we are, just the two of us. OR is it the bad drunk when you turn into this guy I don't even know, who sometimes forgets his own strength and shoves me into a table so hard I feel like my lungs are gonna explode!!"  
  
Shawn buried his face in his hands, but eerily the tears did not appear. Frustration however was building, welling inside him like a volcano. Chet remained silent, his expression riddled with guilt and sorrow. "How many times are you gonna throw me to the ground or push me through a window or bang my head against a wall before you unintentionally kill me?? Huh dad is the booze worth it that much, that you're willing to throw them dice and gamble with my life?? Cause I'm no gambler dad, and if you choose your buddies Jim Bean and Jack Daniels over me, I'm gone!! I'll grab what little I have and I'll go... Just like all the others who are tired of broken arms and black eyes and split lips..Just like my mother!!!"  
  
Chet knelt on the ground beside his son. His posture shadowed utter defeat, He began to weep openly as he leaned in against Shawn's knee. "I'll stop I swear I will Shawnie, please just give me another chance to show you I love you.I need you so much boy, your everything to me." Shawn placed his arm around his father and patted him on the back. Deep down he knew the man was sincere, but history made him cynical, jaded, and untrusting. He's seen this episode before. This display was a mere rerun, and one Shawn disliked immensely. Shawn gave in and placed his chin on his dad's shoulder, Chet wrapped Shawn in a bear hug and gently squeezed, the sight of dried blood on his neck and matted in his hair made Chet's stomach swell. As much as Shawn's inner voice told him to change the channel, he decided to stay tuned. He decided to roll the dice just once more and bet on his dad.. All or nothing this time, maybe his luck would change and he could win it all.Maybe.. Maybe NOT.It's a crapshoot.  
  
Jonathan Turner rolled into the faculty parking lot just as Mr. George Feeny was locking up his Gremlin. "Good Morning Jonathan, at least it was before you broke the sound barrier." George joked as he pulled his briefcase from the trunk. "I know it's loud George, but to the trained ear, to true hogg lovers, this baby sounds like a purring kitten. Mr. Feeny's smile faded as he noticed the second helmet strapped lonesome to the back seat. "Say Jonathan how are you holding up, now that Mr. Hunter has returned home?" George asked with concern. Turner dismounted the bike and smiled. "I'm okay I guess, I'm surprised at how attached I got to him, but being back with his old man is what's best, we all know that." Feeny nodded and glanced around the empty lot, "Do we?" he questioned in his telltale lecturing tone.  
  
Turner raised an eyebrow at the question, "Come on George!! You of all people should agree with me, you told me yourself my little arrangement with Shawn was a bad idea, that I should be his teacher and only his teacher and not to get too involved in his personal life..You said It was a mistake taking that child into my house." Feeny sighed as Jonathan held out his hands questioningly. "I'm well aware of what I said, Mr. Turner, and I admit at the time I meant it, but now, a year later. I've reevaluated my opinion. I feel as though Shawn needs more than just teachers. He's come such a long way, he's come farther than I dare say I thought he would."  
  
The two men started toward the door as they continued their conversation, "Don't worry about that George, I'm still going to make it a point to be an active participant in Shawn's life, even if his father doesn't push him to move forward I will." Feeny stopped shy of his office, pausing in thought for a moment, he moved in closer to Jon. "Jonathan, do you have a few moments to talk privately in my office?" Jon glanced at his watch and nodded. Feeny led Turner through the door and closed it behind them.  
  
Jon plopped into one of the leather seats facing Feeny's walnut desk, as George placed his briefcase on the roll away chair. Instead of sitting behind the desk, he moved a chair in close to Turner. "Look Jon, we've become more than colleagues this past year.I'd like to think we've become friends..good friends actually, so I feel comfortable speaking to you about this. I've been a teacher for over thirty years, and never have I stepped over the boundary of my student-teacher relationship. I've prided myself on finding that perfect harmony as educator-mentor without emotionally involving myself with a single student. At least I thought that true of myself, until I crossed paths with Master Hunter. I can't help but bring the baggage associated with that boy home sometimes, now what I say to you in this room, must.Mr. Turner.stay in this room." Mr. Feeny looked Jonathan in the eye with a stern stare, not wavering.  
  
"Of course George, you have my confidence." Feeny sighed, "When Shawn was about eight years old, he and Cory signed up for an after school program I launched. Basically the children would stay an hour past last bell and do odd jobs around the halls, clapping erasers, scraping gum off chairs and tables, little things. As a reward for their efforts all year, during summer break I took the kids to a swim club for the day. When I saw Shawn, in just the swimming trunks, I almost fell over. He was covered in bruises.you could actually see large handprints on his arms and back. I was so alarmed; I took him aside immediately and questioned him about them. He of course lied through his teeth about it, just like he always does, but that day sounded an alarm for me." Feeny closed his eyes and frowned as the images clouded his mind once again.  
  
Turner leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, "What are you telling me George?" he reluctantly asked as he covered his mouth with his hands nervously. "After seeing him like that, I started to pay attention to him more and more in class, and sure enough, the bruises kept appearing. Then when Shawn was ten he came to school and was acting very peculiar, he wouldn't take notes, he brought no books to class, he was sluggish and very agitated, when I brought him into my office to question him, he almost fell over as he entered the room. It turns out he walked around for two days with a seriously fractured arm. Could you imagine, what it took for him to do that. He still would not budge, never spoke a word of how it happened, he just refused to cooperate with any of us. The nurse, the counselor, myself, no one could get him to confess to the abuse. Finally after that incident I decided to involve the state, I called DHS, and filed a report, after a two-week investigation they removed him from the home and placed him in foster care. I was directly involved in getting Shawn away from that man."  
  
Jonathan's eyes were wide with shock, he was a bit familiar with Shawn's history from his meetings with DHS, but since he was a temporary guardian, they weren't obligated to disclose all the details. Jon bit his lip and took a deep breath, "WOW George, I'm speechless.. I mean, I knew Chet neglected Shawn, but I didn't know he physically abused the boy. He seems irresponsible and careless, but not angry or violent. I actually thought he was quite lighthearted, and a bit immature."  
  
George nodded and smiled, "Your right Jon he doesn't seems that way, that's what makes him so dangerous. You see Shawn is going to be fifteen this year, he's gotten bigger, and he's growing into a strong young man, with quite a temper himself. Shawn is more confident and bolder than he was when he was a child. If Chet could do what he did to him then, what do you think Shawn will be in for if he begins to fight back. What do you think would happen if he one day he hits back. Shawn was a very frail and subdued boy at ten years old, but now, I honestly think If Chet was to go after him, I'm afraid he may try to stop his father, and although Shawn may be getting older and stronger, he's no match for Chet."  
  
Jonathan had to agree, "What do you think I should do George. You know I love that kid, I really do. He came into my life and completely turned it in a different direction. We both gained so much from our time together, and now after all that's happened, If DHS came to me and asked me if I wanted to have Shawn for the rest of my life, I would do it in a heartbeat, no hesitation. But that chance came and went, now it's too late, he's gone, besides.. Now that I've screwed up and passed the chance to have Shawn, what makes you think he wants me.huh?? What makes you think Shawn won't turn around and do the same thing to me?"  
  
Feeny folded his arms, "Well Jon, I can't answer that, there's only one person on earth who knows the answer to that question. Maybe it's time you talked to him. I can't tell you what to do Jonathan, only you can make this decision, but in all fairness you asked me what I think you should do, I'll oblige you with at least an answer... I think you should fight for him." 


	6. Chapter 5 I'd Kill For This Kid!

Cory sat on the steps of Dipper's Doughnuts trying to properly sip his hot chocolate while wearing his oversized blue mittens. Topanga stood beside him, amused at the entertainment he was providing. "Why don't you just take them off for a while Cory, I'm sure your hands won't freeze that fast." Topanga giggled as she adjusted the straps of her book bag. "Man I would' a paid Eric a hundred bucks to drive us to school today. I can't wait to get my license.I'm tired of using these legs to transport me from place to place, how primitive."  
  
Topanga repositioned her earmuffs, as she spied Shawn turn the corner and start across the street. Instead of his leather jacket, he dawned his old blue flannel reinforced hooded jacket. He smiled at the pair from under his sunglasses. "Shawn, I don't know if you noticed but the sun's been on vacation for a few days, what's with the shades?" Cory asked as Topanga handed Shawn a steaming Styrofoam cup. "House blend, no cream, two sugars, just the way you like it." She smiled as Shawn popped the top and went to take a swig, "Be Careful ITS HOT!" She warned just as the cup reached his lips, he pulled it away and grinned, "Thanks.. You save me every time." He responded as he blew into the cup, before slowly sipping.  
  
Cory rose and stretched his neck to stare into Shawn's face. The curly haired boy remained silent as he examined Shawn. "Can I help you?" Shawn asked after a long awkward pause. "Take them off.." Cory prodded a bit annoyed. Shawn raised his eyes skyward and turned slightly, "Cory, what's the big de." He started as Cory placed a hand on his hip and handed Topanga his chocolate. "I said take them off, Hunter.. That's an order!" Cory chided, as Shawn humbly obliged. He slid the glasses off to reveal a deep purple and yellow shiner, topped off with a swollen, jagged gash just above his eyebrow. Topanga inhaled and winced as she got a good glimpse of the unsightly bruise. "Please don't go crazy over this, it was just a stupid accident.. OKAY!!" Shawn shrugged and laughed. "I'm listening.." Cory stated, less than amused.  
  
"Look, Herman's cat got out last night and the kid was going nuts, so me and Frankie went after him into the woods, we were afraid he would wander onto the highway, so as I was running after him, I ran into a tree. Stupid, what can I say.." Shawn shook his head, hoping his friends would take the bait. Cory cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, as Shawn turned and began toward school, "So did you guys do Dr. Sorrell's project it's due today." He nervously changed the subject. Cory glanced at Topanga who returned his worried sediment. "Whoa.whoa wait a minute, Shawn!" Cory advanced and grabbed Shawn's shoulder.bad move!! It took every ounce of reserve to keep from crying out, but Shawn kept his cool, as stars danced about his head he stopped and turned to his best friend. No one noticed but the boy stopped breathing and bit his lip.  
  
Cory looked Shawn in the eye, as he broke out into a sweat. "Shawn!! I'm only going to ask you this once okay, are you on the level?? Are you being straight with me?" Shawn moved closer to his oldest, dearest comrade, looked him square in the face.. and lied, "Cory!! You know I'm always upfront with you." The two boys sized each other up, Cory searching for a hint of deception, Shawn praying it would all go away. Unfortunately Cory blinked first, his expression broke into a grin as he patted Shawn on the back, "Alright Buddy!! I believe ya!!" Both boys breathed sighs of relief as they again started toward school, Topanga lagged behind, she on the other hand was not so convinced. If there is one thing Shawn Hunter excels at it's fooling those around him. He should have been a magician, he has an uncanny ability to manipulate and distract those closest to him. The musketeers walked to school, refreshments in hand, they reveled so much in each others company, the bitter cold was long forgotten, the black eye a distant memory.  
  
Shawn ran to his locker after third period to change books and meet Cory for lunch. The day had not gone so well; he totally blanked for Ms. Thomkin's pop quiz and Dr. Sorrell was less than pleased with the mess he handed in for Chemistry. He needed to see Cory right away before he would spin out of control. The one thing he didn't need right now was what turned the corner and was steaming straight for him.."Oh NO!! Turner!!" Jonathan stopped to chat with Missy Robinson as the bell sounded and the halls began to empty. Shawn scrambled to gather his things with lightning speed, but fumbled big time as his books flew all over the hall, one sliding right into Jon's boot. The book startled the young handsome teacher as he glanced toward Shawn.  
  
His expression darkened as he got a good look at his former charge. He leaned in and swiped the book from the floor, not taking his dark eyes off the boy, "Hunter!! You got something you wanna tell me??" He questioned as he walked up and slammed Shawn's locker shut. "Yeah.." Shawn stammered, hoping he could yammer his way through this one. "Nice tie, clearance item from Macy's?" He joked as Jon rolled his eyes. "Hunter, this is not funny!!" Jonathan started as he raised a shaky hand to Shawn's eye. "Oh MY GOD, this needs stitches Shawn, it already looks infected, I want you to go see Nurse Sally right away, how did this happen, what didja do after you left last night, Shawn start talking kid, before I go ballistic!!" Shawn giggled as he reveled in Jon's familiar banter; the boy grabbed his tie and pulled the man toward him. Unbeknownst to him, Shawn automatically relaxed, his body and mind taking comfort in Turner. Somehow Shawn felt at ease in his presence, he instinctively sensed safety in Jonathan's midst. If only he would realize.  
  
"John please.. It's no biggie.I ran into a tree last night helping Frankie search for Herman's cat. Don't make a bigger deal out of this than." Turner folded his arms and glared at Shawn. Shawn hushed up right away, hung his head and waited, he knew Jon all to well. "HUNTER!! Forgive me if I'm not convinced, I want details, and I want them now!!" Shawn shrugged and bobbed his head, "I'm sorry Jon no time I'm late for lunch.." Turner yanked Shawn's sleeve, "It will have to wait Shawn, everything will wait until you talk to me." Turner grabbed the boy's backpack and leaned against the locker as the remnants of students dissipated as the second bell sounded. Turner looped the shoulder straps around his arms tightly and raised an eyebrow at Shawn.  
  
Shawn folded his arms and exhaled in a huff, "You got me.Held hostage again, what do ya wanna know??" Shawn questioned a bit annoyed. Jon again surveyed Shawn's wounded eye. "I want to know exactly what went off after you left me last night. Down to the last second. I'm sorry amigo; I just don't trust your father, KIDDO!! Now come on, level with me Shawn, what happened last night!!"  
  
Shawn rolled his eyes and let his imagination loose, "My dad drove me home, helped me unload my stuff, he stepped out for a few hours, I hung out next door with Frankie, we watched Letterman, Herman's cat got lose, we found him, I fell asleep on the couch, my dad strolled home a little after two, we talked a while, he sacked out and I went to sleep, LA TEE DAH!!! WELCOME HOME SHAWN!!!" Shawn's nostrils flared with anger, a shame, even in Shawn's imagination his father was a deadbeat. Turner hung his head, amazingly he believed Shawn's tale, too mediocre to be a lie, he thought. Turner placed his arm around the boy's shoulder, "Look Shawn, give him a break okay it was the first night, he was probably tired from working so hard."  
  
Shawn rejoiced inside, hook line and sinker, he had Turner reeled in all right! Not bad, not bad at all!! Shawn poured it on thick, "I don't know Jon, I thought he might spend time with me, or want to catch up with me, instead he dumps me off and heads to the store, like I really need breakfast in the morning, that kind of stuff isn't important yano??" Turner gave Shawn a mock punch on the chin, "Look Buddy, It will get better Chet will come around, you'll see, he's not used to being there for anyone, just as long as he's not mistreating you, that's a different story entirely.. What did he say about the eye??" Turner inquired as he handed Shawn his backpack. Shawn smiled, "he said GREAT, NOW EVERYONE WILL THINK I WENT TEN ROUNDS WITH YA BEFORE SUNUP!!" Shawn mocked, in his best Chet impersonation.  
  
Turner smiled, "Shawn just remember, I'm here if you need me, I'm still going to be there for you always, no matter what happens, hell or high water, you can always count on me." Jon smiled. Shawn looked into Turner's eyes, "I know I can always count on you Jon, your one of only a few people I can count on." Shawn hung his head; "Well my dad said he'd make it up to me by coming to the game tomorrow.. Are you gonna be there Jon??" Shawn inquired. Just then Matthews turned the corner, "Shawn!! Where were you, I was getting worried!! I was about to send out a search party!!" Cory joked as he advanced on the pair. Turner and Cory exchanged greetings as Shawn gathered his things. "Hey Shawn, stop by my class before you head home you forgot your gift last night, your gonna need it for your big debut tomorrow."  
  
Shawn smiled, "Okay!! I'll see you after seventh period, I got practice tonight so I'm gonna need that present!!" Turner gave Shawn the thumbs up as he walked down the hall with Cory. As Shawn disappeared around the corner Turner breathed a sigh of relief, "OH GOD!!" he thought to himself. "What does that kid take me for!?" Turner exhaled and rubbed his eyes with vigor, "I'm on alert Hunter. This cut's like a knife.Turner straightened his tie, "Fight for him, HELL!! Now I'd kill for this kid if I had too!!" Turner hurried into his class, a look of determination graced his face, I'll be there Shawn, mark my words, I'll be there." 


	7. Chapter 6 Was It The Clown Dream!

(A/N This chapter is a long one; I hope you all don't mind!! I want to thank you guys for the encouraging reviews!! I'm glad you like the story. Please let me know what you think. I'm writing this chapter by chapter, so the story could go anywhere.Let me know if you have any suggestions!!)  
  
Cory and Topanga shared a soft pretzel as Mr. Matthews chatted with Mr. Turner; the only person watching the game was Mrs. Matthews as Shawn gained possession and advanced up the turf. She yelled with vigor almost as if she was watching her own son play his first indoor soccer match. The palladium was filled with over zealous parents, as John Adam's Wildcats hosted the Hamilton Rockets. Shawn looked fabulous in his uniform as he sprinted up and down the pitch; the only flaw was the eye, which stood out like a sore thumb on his pale face.  
  
Just as the horn for intermission sounded, Mr. Feeny popped his head around the corner, "Evening All!! Is this seat taken?" George gestured to an empty chair beside Amy Matthews. "Why NO George, please have a seat." She happily gestured to the chair and moved her coat out of the man's way. Mr. Feeny sat down and adjusted his yellow sweater vest as Jonathan smirked and greeted him. "Evening George, I didn't know you were a soccer fan?" Feeny smiled, "Ha, Mr. Turner! I am indeed, I'm an enthusiast for many sports, and I always like to come down and cheer John Adam's on!!"  
  
Mr. Matthews bounded back down the metal steps with fresh sodas in hand; he passed them out to everyone. Topanga popped a piece of pretzel into Cory's mouth and the two playfully giggled. "Hey you two cool it down there or I'm going to make your mother sit between you!!" Alan cautioned as he pointed a stern finger at the smitten teens. Just then Eli Williams bounded down the stairs and slid into a seat behind Jonathan. "Hey Buddy!! Sorry I'm late. They kept me late at the station, ya know how it is being the new guy and all, how's he doing, Jon flashed Eli the thumbs up as he continued to stuff peanuts into his mouth.  
  
The Shawn Hunter fan club was growing fast as the second half began. The group was however shy one member as Chet was nowhere to be found. Everyone was aware he was supposed to be there, but no one seemed to broken up at his absence, except maybe Shawn who would glance into the stands time to time and scan for his father. Eli got comfortable as the game was underway. The scoreboard still remained nil as the Wildcats bounded forward full of fresh zeal.  
  
"Jonathan, did Hunter go the distance with that big kid?? What's with his eye, I can see that shiner from up here in the nosebleed section." Mr. Williams squinted to get a better look as Jon leaned back in his chair, "He ran into a tree last night chasing around the Stecchino's cat, he's okay I had Nurse Sally give him the once over after school." George snickered at the remark. "Leave it to Mr. Hunter, always seems to become utterly clumsy at home." Turner locked stares with George and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The exchange didn't go unnoticed by Mr. And Mrs. Matthews. Mr. Williams also had trouble buying the excuse, "Sounds pretty hokey to me, you sure he's.." Turner cut his buddy off before he went any further, "LOOK!! He's fine okay, I don't think we should get into this in front of the kids, capishe??" Turner growled as the adults turned to Cory and Topanga, who were too into each other to notice anything else. Eli took the hint, so did Feeny as the two returned their attention to the game.  
  
Just in time to see Shawn make a major steal and advance down the field with lighting speed. The crowd cheered as he held the ball and fought off a menacing Rocket as his teammates got into position. He was so enthralled in his efforts he didn't see his large opponent swiftly gaining on him. He spun out of the box the Rockets formed around him and kicked the ball toward Randy Sullivan, the wildcats star center, Randy redirected the ball, with a head but and it swooshed past the goalie into the net. The advancing Rocket could not slow himself down before steamrolling right into Shawn's blind side. Both boys went down with a thud. The wildcat's celebration was cut short as Shawn rolled onto his stomach gasping. He curled up protecting his shoulder as he squeezed his eyes shut.  
  
The trainer was on the pitch quickly as Shawn's teammates gathered round. Turner stood bolt upright and advanced forward toward the players' bench in frenzy. A hush fell over the crowd as the trainer exchanged words with Shawn who was still lying prone on the green. He rubbed the boys back as he slowly rose to his knees. Shawn's complexion was flushed, as the trainer helped him to his shaky feet, the boy who ran into him bobbed worriedly about as Shawn patted him on the shoulder. The trainer moved in with one hand on Shawn's neck and the other around his waist. Shawn winced in pain as the trainer helped him to the bench. The crowd began to sporadically clap as the wildcats slapped each other's hands in celebration.  
  
Shawn sat with his head down as the Trainer placed an ice pack on the back of his neck. Turner was exchanging words with him as he tended to Shawn. The coach came forward and handed Shawn a water bottle. Jon rubbed Shawn's back as the boy smiled at him. They exchanged a few words before Jonathan shook hands with the trainer and returned to his seat, and his worried entourage. "He's okay, he just got the wind knocked out of him. He'll sit a while, but he's all right. Coach says he's got to keep his head up!" Turner relaxed in his seat and exhaled as he continued to watch the game. Shawn gulped down a few sips of water and wiped his nose with a towel as he tried to steady his breathing. The trainer came up and placed his hands on his shoulders, "You okay kid, you sure gave your dad a big scare, I thought he was going to leap onto the field." Shawn chuckled and coughed, "Yeah.my dad, he's a real worrier." Shawn whispered as he held his shoulder, glancing toward the stands.  
  
Everyone celebrated at Chubbies as the Wildcats shut down the Rockets, three to nil. Shawn shined assisting on two of the goals. His first game was a success, not only did he enjoy it, but he felt fantastic playing. Soccer was something that came natural to Shawn. He was looking forward to the rest of the season. Cory and Topanga were playing darts as Shawn racked up the points on the pinball machine. He was just about to break his record when Libby Harper leaned in on the machine. Shawn was so startled he let the ball shoot right into the hole.. Game over.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to mess up your game." She pouted, shooting Shawn a playful smile. "It's okay.No big deal.." Shawn blushed and looked down at his hands nervously. Libby sat on the bench and crossed her legs as Shawn leaned in on the wall. "So Shawn, I didn't know you played Soccer, didja letter yet?" Shawn smiled, "Not yet, but I'm going to.. I just played my first game over at the palladium, I got two assists." Shawn beamed with pride as he offered Libby some of his soda. She graciously accepted, leaving a soft pink lipstick print on Shawn's straw.  
  
Shawn joined Libby on the bench as he adjusted his crumpled jersey. "You should come to the next game, we play the Thunderbirds on Wednesday night." Libby grinned and moved closer. "That sounds great, I'll be there." Shawn fidgeted a bit, somehow he didn't feel as confident with Libby as the other girls he flirted with and went around with, she was different, her dad was an attorney and she lived in Willow Lakes.  
  
She was a bit out of Shawn's league, but oh how her eyes made him melt every time she looked at him. She was a knockout, long blonde hair, crystal blue eyes and a figure that rivaled any supermodel. Libby was one of the most popular girls at John Adams. She traveled with a very exclusive crowd, a crowd that had eluded Shawn, until now. "So Libby, do you like miniature golf?" Shawn asked as he gazed into Libby's eyes. "I love it, I'm not very good but I love it." Libby would have admitted to loving detention if Shawn was going to be there, she was falling fast. "You want to go play tomorrow, we can double with Cory and Topanga, and then maybe get some pizza afterward." Libby's eyes danced as she pulled a pen from her purse and jotted her number on Shawn's hand. She folded her hand into his and leaned in a bit closer, Shawn could smell her perfume. Just then Missy Robinson and Jennifer Marcum strolled up the stairs, their eyes went wide as they spotted Libby getting a little intimate with Shawn Hunter.  
  
Missy leaned over the rail and smirked at Libby, "We're leaving are you coming?" She asked smugly. Libby nodded and checked for her purse, "I got to go Shawn, call me tonight." Libby grabbed her coat from Jennifer's hand and bounced up the stairs after her friends, coyly waving at Shawn as she disappeared through the doorway. Shawn smiled bright as he joined Cory and Topanga in the back room.  
  
Cory was just finishing throwing his dart as Shawn strolled confidently by. "Cory glanced at his best friend, "I know that look Hunter, what gives?" Cory inquired as he cleared the board. Shawn raised an eyebrow and held up his soda. Cory eyed up the straw and smiled, "Looks like pink a la Libby Harper to me!!" He laughed and slapped his hands together, "Wow Shawn!! I'm impressed, she's big time." Shawn nodded with glee, "So you guys doing anything tomorrow afternoon.. How would you like to join me and Libby for a few rounds of Golf??" Cory agreed immediately, Topanga however sneered, "I don't like those girls, they're mean and vicious. How fast you forget how they manipulated Jill Hollinger to dump you last year, what makes you think they wont sink their claws into Libby Harper too?"  
  
Topanga stared Shawn in the eye, "I'm sorry Shawn, but that's just the way I see it, I don't like when people put down my friends and I don't forget that easily." Topanga smiled and squeezed Shawn's arm. He was touched at her protective attitude toward him. "Thanks Topanga, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I really got something for Libby, something I've never really had for a girl and I want to give it a go, please come with me tomorrow." Shawn pleaded as Cory stepped between the two, "We'll be there, say no more!" He put his foot down as he glanced toward his girl. Cory always stepped up when Shawn needed him; it was a natural instinct with him. "COOL!! I figured we do a few rounds of golf and then go for pizza." Shawn said as he dug into his pocket, pulling out a ten-dollar bill, "Well, maybe one round of golf." He smiled as he checked the other pocket, coming up with some nickels and a pack of certs. "Maybe we can skip the pizza, and pack lunch." The boys laughed as Topanga shook her head, "Some things will never change." She thought as She stepped up and took her turn at the dartboard.  
  
Mr. Matthews pulled into Topanga's driveway as Cory bowled over Shawn to get out. He walked her to the door and gave her a few kisses goodnight, "Thanks for coming with me and Shawn tomorrow, it really means a lot." Topanga brushed Cory's cheek with her hand, "I know it does, who knows maybe it will be fun.Hey Cory, maybe you could slip a few bucks into Shawn's jacket before you drop him off, you know how he's always finding money in his pockets he forgot about." Cory nodded, already did it before we left Chubbies. Topanga smiled as she opened the front door, "I love you Cory Matthews, for so many different reasons." Cory smiled and waved, "I love you too Topanga, see you tomorrow." Cory returned to the car and eased in next to his buddy.  
  
Shawn leaned back and yawned, wrenching his tired eyes. His knuckle hit the gash hard as he yelped in pain, "OH MAN!! I keep forgetting about this." He chastised himself out loud as Cory leaned in. "You Okay??" he asked a bit concerned. "I'm fine, just an idiot sometimes." Mr. Matthews turned the car onto seventh heading for the overpass towards Shawn's trailer park. Shawn bolted up as he noticed where they were heading. "Mr. Matthews... You don't have to drop me home just yet, I thought maybe I could hang out with you guys for a while?" Shawn questioned a hint of panic in his voice. Alan glanced into the backseat, "You guys are practically falling asleep back there, you'll see each other tomorrow."  
  
Shawn glanced at Cory with pleading eyes; Cory took his cue immediately and ran with it. "PLEASE DAD!!" I wanted to play a few rounds of Hockey with Shawn, Eric and me found some really cool features on my new game, I wanted to show Shawn." Alan turned to Amy and shrugged, she smiled and nodded, "All right, Shawn can stay over tonight, but only cause it's a weekend. As soon as we get home you call your father and ask him okay?" Alan yelled as he turned the car around and headed toward home. Shawn breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at his buddy. Cory leaned back and wondered, he didn't like the way Shawn had sounded, the tone in his voice gave him an uneasy feeling. He'd have to chat with him when they got home.  
  
Cory buried his head in the fridge as Shawn grabbed the phone from the kitchen wall. He looked about as he purposely dialed Cory's number. The busy signal sounded in his ear, as Mrs. Matthews sat down at the table in front of him. The two exchanged smiles as Shawn waited to start his charade.  
  
"Hello DAD!! It's Shawn.... Is it okay if I stay over at Cory's tonight??.... No the game was great we won.... I know you were working it's okay, you'll catch the next one... Okay, thanks DAD, get some sleep okay.... Bye....."  
  
"My dad says, hi, he's sorry he missed you guys tonight, but he was working. He said it's okay if I stay over." Mrs. Matthews smiled and continued to glance through the evening paper as Mr. Matthews handed her a cup of coffee. The boys barreled up the stairs and into Cory's room. Eric was lying on his bed reading a magazine as they entered the room. "Hey Pele!! How was the game?" he asked as he looked up at Shawn, who plopped exhausted onto Cory's bed. "It was fine, you could' a come if ya wanted to." Shawn exclaimed as he adjusted the pillow under his head. Eric shook his head, "Naw, I had to stay here and watch the weasel, I'll catch the next one."  
  
Cory rolled the T.V. out and hooked up the play station, "LOOK OUT!! MY SHAWN!! I finally got the new NHL, wait till you see the graphics on this thing!!" Eric threw the magazine into the corner and sat at the edge of the bed, "You staying over tonight, Hunter.?" he asked as Shawn took off his sneakers and nodded. Eric leaned forward and opened the drawer of his dresser; he threw a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants, Shawn's way. Shawn rolled over on the bed and slid out of his soccer shorts, pulling the sweat pants on without even getting up. He sleepily pulled his jersey off, without realizing where he was, before he could do anything, Eric yelled, "HOLY SMOKES HUNTER!! Did you get hit by a car or a train, what the hell happened to you?" Cory leapt from the bed shocked; "SHAWN!!" he gasped as he got his first good look at Shawn's shoulder.  
  
The bruise had spread from his collarbone to his chest, from his shoulder to the bottom of his elbow; it was deep and dark and looked a lot worse than it felt. "It's no big deal, I got slammed tonight at my game, but it looks a lot worse than it feels." Shawn stood up in a huff and grabbed the t-shirt from the bed; he angrily walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Cory and Eric looked at one another with concern, "You know Cor, that didn't happen tonight, that's at least a day old. You could tell by the color, what's going on?" Eric asked as he picked up the joystick and sat back down on the bed. Cory shook his head in awe, "I don't know, Eric!! I don't know what going on." He stammered in shock. "Well you better find out because something powerful slammed into your best friend." "SSSHHH" Cory hushed as Shawn emerged from the bathroom. "So!! Let's play, I wanna be Philly!!" He stated nonchalantly as he sat next to Eric on the bed and grabbed the joystick from his lap. Eric glanced at Cory, he playfully slapped Shawn on the back of the head and took the joystick back, "and I'm Philly you could be Jersey, looser!!" Cory and Shawn laughed as the boys began a marathon series of games.  
  
A few hundred games later the room was littered with potato chip bags, empty soda bottles and an array of empty snack bags. The horn on the video game sounded. Shawn was fast asleep in Cory's bed as The Matthews' Brothers began sudden death overtime. Alan entered the room and laughed, the brothers were fixated on the television screen. "Guys, it's getting late. Time to hit the sack, it's after midnight." He quipped as he slung a blanket over Shawn. "Just let us finish up this one okay dad." Cory pleaded, keeping his attention on the game. Alan obliged and kissed his son on the head, he patted Eric's back and whispered, "Goodnight Kids." Alan dimmed the light as he exited the room.  
  
Later that night it was dark and silent in the room, all three boys were sound asleep, Shawn remained in Cory's bed, Eric slept soundly in his own bed, which was pushed up against Cory's, and Cory sawed wood from the foot of both beds. All three boys still lay among the empty bags and potato chips, too tired to clean them up before they turned in. Cory stirred and repositioned himself, snuggling up in his comforter as the bed began to shake.  
  
His eyes popped open as he spied Shawn in the thralls of what seemed like a heavy-duty nightmare. He thrashed about in a sweat, as he groaned and yelled out in the silent night. Cory shook his best friend, his face washed with fright. Eric snapped the light on as Cory leapt to his feet. Shawn waived his arms in the air as he screamed unconsciously, "He's killing me!!! HE'S KILLING ME!!" Eric grabbed the boy by the T-shirt and shook vigorously, "Hunter!!! Hunter WAKE UP!!" Shawn's eyes snapped open as he realized he had hold of Cory's shirt, it was savagely balled into his fists. Eric stared at the boy open mouthed, as Shawn panted. His wide blue eyes darting aimlessly about the room as he desperately tried to get his bearings. Cory looked into Shawn's face, trying to console his friend. "It's okay, you're okay, just relax!!" Eric hurried to the bathroom and emerged with a glass of water; Shawn gulped it down, his hands still shaking. Cory leaned forward, "Was it the clown dream or the puppet dream?" He asked innocently. Shawn smiled at his naive friend "Oh Cory you have no idea." He thought to himself before he answered, "It was the clown dream, he was trying to kill me again. All three boys laughed as Eric closed the light, "Go to sleep you freaks, I'll see you in the morning." 


	8. Chapter 7 There's NOTHING To Talk About!

Shawn was sitting on the floor watching T.V. as little Morgan sat behind him on the couch. She was giving him his third make pretend haircut this morning. He finished his last spoonful of cereal and placed the bowl on the coffee table. Morgan continued to brush Shawn's hair as he leaned back against the cushions. "How do you want it done this time?" The little girl asked, as she moved closer to Shawn, her little feet dangling over the side next to him. He closed one eye and wistfully looked at her, "Let's see, not to short this time Miss!! You decide though, you have to make me look good for my date!!" He leaned in and tickled her, as she fell back laughing hysterically.  
  
Shawn changed the channel and continued watching the T.V. as Morgan gently stroked her little pink brush through his dark hair. She combed it to the left, to the right, she gave him bangs, she took them away, all the time humming to herself and playfully waving her plastic brush and scissors around Shawn's head. She threw in a verbal, "SNIP, SNIP" every once in a while for effect.  
  
Morgan was almost finished as she leaned in on Shawn's shoulder to reach a difficult spot. Shawn shuddered as the toddler made contact with a particularly tender place. "Oowww" He yelped, as Morgan quickly pulled away from him. "I'm sorry, did I give you a boo boo?" the child pouted with a frown. Shawn smiled and placed his arm around her, "No, no, don't feel bad, you didn't give me a boo boo, somebody else did..you just found it that's all." Morgan gently reached up and patted Shawn's shoulder with her tiny hand, "I'll make it better!!" She squeaked. Shawn smiled at the child's caring efforts, "Thanks, but I think it will take a lot more than that to help this boo boo!" Shawn commented to the air, in frustration.  
  
Morgan shimmied from the couch cushion, "I'll get mommy, she has medicine that makes boo boo's disappear." The child stated with glee as she started toward the stairs. Shawn hurried to his knees and quickly stopped her, "NO, You can't tell mommy, okay!! It's secret.. It will be a secret just between you and me okay!!" Morgan thought for a moment as she placed her pink fuzzy slipper on the first step, "Weeeeeelllllllll, okaay!! I won't tell if you give me some candy??" Morgan held her hand out and strolled back to Shawn. Shawn looked at the shrewd child and smiled, "You're a kid after my own heart munchkin, but I don't have any candy on me! Can I have a rain check??" Morgan laughed, "I don't take checks, silly!!" Shawn smirked and sat back on the couch, "I'll bring you some candy tomorrow okay, I promise." Morgan returned to her seat on the couch and held up the brush. Shawn obliged and scooted to the floor, "Give me the usual!" He muttered as the child started his fourth make pretend haircut of the morning. She was halfway through as Mrs. Matthews strolled down the steps.  
  
"Good Morning pumpkin!! Boy your up early today." She commented as she swooped in and kissed Morgan on the head. "Thanks Mrs. M., I'm always up early!" Shawn responded with a giggle. "I was talking to Morgan!!" She laughed as she mussed Shawn's hair. "Didja help yourself to breakfast?" Amy asked as she made her way to the kitchen. "AS ALWAYS!!" Shawn responded gathering his empty bowl and spoon. Taking them to the kitchen, he washed and placed them on the drain board. "I'm gonna cut out before Cory wakes up, I got to get home and do some things before we go out today. Tell him to call me at home okay, Mrs. Matthews... And thanks for letting me stay over." Shawn grabbed his coat from the banister. "If you wait twenty minutes I'll drop you home, it's freezing outside." Amy shouted as she rose from the kitchen table. Shawn shook his head, "No Thanks!! I'll take the trolley, no bother!!" He was out the door in a flash, before Amy could even respond. She shrugged, "Okay.. I guess."  
  
By the time Cory woke, the Matthews house was already a bevy of activity. "Did Shawn leave, he didn't wait for me?" The curly headed boy inquired as he entered the kitchen in his pajamas and robe. "He was up before the sun, Morgan must have given him twenty haircuts." Mr. Matthews said, glancing through the morning paper. Cory groaned as Morgan entered the kitchen. "WEASEL!! YOU GOT TO LEAVE SHAWN ALONE!!" He yelled, plopping into a chair next to his mom. "Oh Cory!! Stop it, I think it's cute the way Shawn fusses over Morgan, It's sweet." Amy angrily interjected. "MOM!! SHE'S ALWAYS HARPING OVER HIM!! I don't bother any of her little goober friends!!" Morgan strutted up to Cory and waved her little finger in his face angrily, "HE"S MY FRIEND TOO!! HE TOLD ME SO!!"  
  
Cory grabbed her hand and shooed it away, "No he's not!! He's just being nice so you'll GO AWAY!! AND LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" Cory screamed at the top of his lungs as he leapt from the table, quite annoyed. Morgan followed behind, not backing down, "He is so my friend, he even told be about his secret boo boo, he said it was just between him and me, so there!!" Alan shot Amy a confused look as Cory stumbled to shut Morgan up quick!! "MORGAN!! YOU IDIOT!! Mom she doesn't know what she's talking about!!" Cory shoved his sister lightly; turning quickly he motioned her to zip her lips. Just then Eric came through the door and leaned against the counter, catching the tale end of the conversation.  
  
"Cory, what is she talking about, what boo boo??" Mrs. Matthews inquired, a bit confused. She turned to little Morgan, "Honey do you mean Shawn's eye??" She asked as she leaned down to face the small child. Morgan shook her head, "No he has a boo boo on his arm and it hurt him this morning, he did so tell me about it!!" Eric looked up at Cory with a worried expression; he decided to spill the beans. "Mom, Shawn has a massive bruise on his shoulder, me and Cory accidentally saw it last night!! He told us it happened at the game, but I say no way, it looks like it's already starting to heal." Cory sighed and rolled his eyes, "YOU DON"T KNOW THAT!! SHAWN WOULDN'T LIE!!" Eric sarcastically smirked at Cory's innocent observation. "Oh Please, come on Cor!! All Shawn does is lie when it comes to this stuff, you should know that by now, he is your best friend!!"  
  
Alan sighed and sat down at the table. "All Right, you two, enough secrets, I want to know exactly what's going on! Morgan you go into the living room and watch cartoons, while mom and me talk to your brothers." Mr. Matthews turned Morgan toward the living room and gently patted her away; Mrs. Matthews motioned for Cory and Eric to have a seat. "We want to know everything, so start talking." Cory's heart sank, his stomach churned. He felt as though he was betraying Shawn, discussing such a personal and confidential matter. Shawn would kill him if he knew he was talking to his parents about this, without telling him first. Cory knew in his heart it was the best thing, but Shawn would never understand, he just can't be reasoned with when it comes to his own good, and Cory had a feeling this particular volcano was about to erupt.  
  
The sun actually peeked through the frigid, gray sky, for just a visit, this peaceful Sunday afternoon, as Cory, Topanga, Shawn and Libby, enjoyed a few rounds of Chip and Putt, indoors of course. It was just too cold to face the miniature course in the biting winter weather. Shawn miraculously found twenty bucks in his jacket pocket, just before meeting Cory, so he was ecstatic. Libby was the perfect date; she held his hand and the two shared at least three interesting, enlightening conversations over a pizza with the works. They were obviously quite smitten with one another as the day progressed. How sweet and gentle Shawn behaved toward Libby, it was a bit surprising to Topanga, who couldn't help feel like an old married woman next to the fresh love birds. Cory on the other hand was not his usual self. He was quiet and not so jolly, a little jumpy even. His mind was definitely not on golf and pizza.  
  
The twilight came and the sky grew darker as the boys walked the girls to the bus stop. Cory, Topanga and Libby were all headed uptown while Shawn would wait and catch the trolley downtown, after their departure. The foursome broke into pairs and found private places to finish their day together. "Libby sat on the bench and rubbed her arms. Even though she was layered to the hilt, sporting her brand new Jones full length Petticoat. Shawn took her cue and placed his arm around the beautiful blonde girl. "I hope you had a good time tonight, I know I did." Shawn commented as his blue eyes met hers. "I loved it, I'd like to see you again, soon. I can't explain it but when were together I get this goofy feeling in my stomach, kind of like dancing fireflies." Shawn smiled as Libby giggled at her colorful remark. Shawn couldn't tell if she was blushing or freezing as her cheeks took a rosy hue.  
  
Shawn brushed her hair away from her face as she closed her eyes and leaned forward. Finally after an eternity their lips met. Libby placed her gloved hand around the nape of Shawn's neck and allowed herself to be enveloped by his kiss. Shawn stroked Libby's hair tenderly as he let the kiss linger just a bit longer. He definitely felt it; deep down his soul stirred as he realized he'd finally felt what everyone else was talking about, the spark that ignites a flame, which could grow to something deep and meaningful. They parted, but remained close. Just staring into each other's eyes, both grinning wildly. "WOW!! Libby exclaimed! That was the best kiss I've ever had. I guess it's true what they all say." Shawn furrowed his brow in confusion, "Who are they, and what do they say." He questioned, still stroking Libby's soft hair.  
  
"The girls at school, rumor has it Shawn Hunter is the best kisser at John Adams." Shawn smirked, "Huh! Well, I wouldn't believe everything you hear, especially the rumors that float through school." Shawn answered quietly." Libby nodded, "Don't worry, I'm not that kind of person, despite what you might hear about me and my friends, rumors can be cruel." Libby gently brushed Shawn's cheek with the back of her hand, the two began to kiss again, and again, and again as the uptown bus came, and went.  
  
Cory and Topanga were around the corner sitting on the stone wall in front of the library. Cory seemed a million miles away as Topanga stared at him. She felt a little jealous of Libby after watching Shawn dote over her all day. "Cory, what's with you? You seem out of it today?" Cory glanced at his girl, just now noticing how pretty she looked. "I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind." He grimaced as the words fell from his mouth. "Well talk to me, maybe I can help." Topanga offered, as she took his hand with hers.  
  
"Shawn slept over last night, and Eric and me saw this big bruise on his arm and chest, it was scary, reminded me of a few years back, ya know." Topanga nodded with concern. "Well, Morgan must have found out and blabbed it to my mom and dad, next thing you know, they round up me and Eric and we had to tell them all the things we've been suspecting. Before you know it, Feeny's over and their all talking about reporting Shawn to DHS again. I felt like such a traitor!! I mean I didn't even mention this to Shawn, he would knock me out if he knew I felt like this, AND told my parents."  
  
Topanga wrapped her arms around Cory's neck as the two leaned in to face one another. "Cory, you might not see it, but you did the right thing. We all know Shawn's dad is not a mean guy, and we all know he loves Shawn to death, but he has hurt him in the past, maybe it was an accident, maybe he really doesn't mean to do it, but he did, and he can never really be trusted again."  
  
Topanga placed her hands on Cory's shoulders for emphasis, "Look, it's only natural to suspect foul play, when you see Shawn a little roughed up, it's not wrong to doubt Shawn's honesty, it doesn't make you less of a friend to him.. If anything it makes you more his friend than ever. He LIES CORY!! He lies to all of us, and the scary thing is he's so damn good at it!! Sometimes it's hard for you to see past that because you look up to Shawn so much!! You don't like to see him hurt or neglected, so you're looking out for him by doing what you did. You're doing what he should be doing for himself. He may be angry with you at first, but he will realize your intentions were good, you have to confront him, and you have to talk to him!! Do it soon Cory before it's too late and something happens to him that none of us can fix!! I honestly think you're the only person in the world that Shawn trusts and listens to. Well besides Mr. Turner. Maybe if your still not sure, you can talk to him first. But do it soon, because time is wasting, every minute Shawn spends in that environment is a potential disaster." Topanga threw her arms around Cory and felt him shaking against her; she gently rubbed his back and whispered in his ear, "It's going to be okay."  
  
"GET A ROOM!!" Shawn yelled from the corner as he strolled up to the embracing teens. Topanga smiled, as did Cory, hiding his real emotions. "So Hunter!! You look pretty happy there, did ya do it, did you... Well you know??" Shawn laughed giddily, "Come on Cory, you know I don't kiss and tell." Cory shook his head, "YES YOU DO, WHAT ARE YOU NEW??" Shawn patted Cory on the back, "You know me too well buddy, TOO WELL.I soooooo kissed her, maybe a thousand times, at least three uptown busses passed by while we locked lips, she is something Cor, she speaks to me!! Were gonna see each other again tomorrow, I'm going over her house and were gonna rent movies!" Topanga leapt from the wall and joined Cory, locking elbows with him. "We gotta get a move on okay Cory, school tomorrow." Topanga reminded him as she tugged on his coat.  
  
Shawn pouted and nervously kicked the wall, "Come on it's early we can hang a little longer??" he pleaded. "Naw, sorry Shawnie, I gotta walk Topanga home and hit the sack, I'm beat from that hockey marathon last night." Shawn sighed and looked around restlessly. "We'll see you tomorrow okay buddy." Cory playfully socked Shawn on the arm as he began walking with Topanga. His heart turned upside down as he walked away from his friend. Shawn remained with his hands in his pockets, biting his lip. Cory walked ten paces and turned suddenly. He marched right up to Shawn, until he was inches from his face. "Go home Shawn..you've been avoiding it all weekend, now go home..Unless there is something making you AVOID IT!! If that's the case you can come with me right now and stay the night, on one condition, you and me...we sit down and talk about WHY you don't want to go home!!"  
  
Shawn sneered at his best friend, "I don't know what you're talking about!! I'm not avoiding NOTHING!!" Shawn protested angrily as he backed away from Cory. Topanga watched the scene play out anxiously, noting the typical way Shawn will run as soon as someone reaches out to him. Her heart melted with sadness, knowing he would be gone in a few seconds, hoping Cory could hold him there long enough for him to accept the invitation. It wasn't meant to be, Shawn rolled his eyes and sighed, "Look I'll see you guys in school, thanks for today..Later." Shawn turned on his heels and strutted down the street in a huff. "Come on Shawn, talk to me.I'm your best friend!" Cory yelled as the distance between them grew. Shawn turned, shrugged uncomfortably, "Cory!! Please, back off...THERES NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT!!" Shawn's voice still echoed in the dark silent night as he disappeared around the corner. 


	9. Chapter 8 I Think I KILLED My Boy!

Shawn sat on the hood of the old burned out Chevy behind his trailer. He watched as his father stumbled about the place with some woman he must have picked up earlier. The wind was freshening and temperature dropping, as he shivered in the cold. He could see through the window they were obviously sharing a nice big bottle of cheap scotch, having quite a time as they both slowly lost control of their faculties.  
  
The boy's heart sank deeper as he spied on the two unsuspecting boozers indulge until they were nearly blotto. Although he was utterly disappointed, Shawn did not feel sad. Instead anger welled inside him, simmering slowly. He wrenched his knuckles with vigor as the pathetic scene played out before him. Deep down he knew the promise his father made was just as flimsy as the rest, but somehow he convinced himself to bank on this one. As the lights in the trailer dimmed so did Shawn's faith in the future. "It's over!!" He thought to himself. "I'm finished." The boy slid from the hood and took refuge from the wind inside what was left of the cab, he burrowed deep between the slashed up seats and cried himself to sleep.  
  
Cory strolled through the back door into what seemed like a summit meeting. His parents were huddled around the kitchen table with Feeny and Turner, their faces flushed with concern. The young man's smile faded as his mind caught up to the situation at hand. "What's up?" he queried, his heart beginning to throb within his chest. Mrs. Matthews placed her coffee mug on the table and anxiously approached the teen.  
  
"Cory, we've been talking here for quite some time about the things you and Eric told us about Shawn, and we all agree the authorities should be involved." Cory closed his eyes and sighed as Amy continued, placing a gentle hand upon her son's shoulder. "Now, it might all turn out to be just a series of accidents and mistakes, but we couldn't live with ourselves if we did nothing and something happens to Shawn." Mr. Turner cupped his face with both hands and nervously rubbed his eyes. Amy led Cory to the table and motioned for him to take her seat. Alan grabbed his son's hand and sternly glared into his eyes. "Now look son, Shawn is your best friend and you have a right to know what's going on. Your old enough this time to understand, and we're not going to hide anything from you."  
  
Cory folded his arms and nodded, "Okay... That seems fair, I guess." He stated, his voice a bit shaky. Mr. Turner turned to Cory, "Look Matthews, Shawn tells you just about everything, he trusts you. Do you think he was happy with me, do you think if I asked him, he would want to come back to me?" Cory thought for a moment. His heart told him to keep Shawn's confidence and remain silent. His mind, however, pulled him in a different direction. "Mr. Turner.....That night, at the game, Shawn told me in secret that he'd wished all along that you would have signed those papers to become his permanent guardian. He told me that leaving you was the hardest thing he ever had to do. He wanted so much to just come out and ask to stay, but he couldn't ever put you on the spot like that. He figured that eventually you'd get tired of him and if he let this chance with his dad go, he could end up in an orphanage when things between you two went south."  
  
Jonathan's eyes welled with tears as he realized the sacrifice Shawn was willing to make for him. "Oh my god, I knew I should have talked to him, I just...." Jon ran his hands through his hair, searching for the right words, "I guess I didn't want to put pressure on him, no kid should have to make a choice like that... You know." Jon looked to the group for assurance. Alan patted the shaken man on the back. "It's not your fault, both you and Shawn were walking around on eggshells for the sake of one another. That should show you how much you care for each other."  
  
Mr. Feeny stood and took the coffee pot from its cradle, he refilled a few cups on the table, "Well, I think we should move forward tomorrow. Kelly Krause from Social Service said she would meet Jon and I, in my office, tomorrow at ten thirty. We can bring Shawn in after lunch and leave her to interview him. Without Jonathan present, we can have Kelly ask him what he wants." Cory turned to Jon, "Mr. Turner...are you sure that your okay with this? I guess what I'm trying to ask is, do you really want Shawn.. permanently?" Cory's voice wavered. He was terrified of the answer. "Cory, not only do I want him back, I need him back!" Jonathan smiled, for the first time he was absolutely positive he was doing the right thing. "That kid changed my whole life...for the better!"  
  
The slam of the metal trailer's door woke Shawn to a dismal day. Thunder growled, as the freezing rain fell heavy from the gray sky. Shawn was soaked to the bone, it must have poured all night as he slept, and he immediately began to shake uncontrollably. He leaned up just in time to watch his fathers guest stagger up the gravel path and around the corner. He slowly pulled himself out from the Chevy's cab and looked at his watch. It was nearly five in the morning; he must have slept through the night. He sluggishly made way to his home as he stretched his numb arms. Shawn entered the trailer and was greeted by his angry, somewhat inebriated father. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!! I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK..I WAS UP ALL DAMN NIGHT WAITIN FOR YOU!!" The whole place reeked of cigarettes and whiskey, that old familiar smell. "Save it!!" Shawn screamed sarcastically, as he pushed his way past the irate man. "I saw your hooker leave about five minutes ago, for an extra ten bucks did she .." "WATCH YOUR MOUTH BOY!!!" Chet bellowed as he advanced, quickly backing Shawn firmly into the wall.  
  
The boy's face twisted in anger as he shoved his fathers hands out of the way, "I'M DONE WITH YOU!!" He screamed breaking away from Chet's grip. Shawn ran to the kitchen and grabbed the quart of whiskey by the neck, "AS LONG AS YOU CHOSE THIS OVER ME, YOUR DEAD TO ME!!" Shawn was in frenzy as he propelled the bottle like a missile into the kitchen wall. Glass and alcohol sprayed down like rain on the unfazed child. Chet's nostrils flared like a bull as he bawled his fists, "YOU LITTLE.." He charged at the fourteen year old full speed, careening into Shawn like a train. The two sailed into the mini counter separating the two rooms. Shawn's midsection hit the laminate corner with enough force to shear the entire counter from the wall. The wooden spindles cracked like toothpicks from the impact. Shawn immediately felt his ribs give way with an audible snap as he fell hard to the ground.  
  
Shawn thrashed around on the floor, curling his knees into his stomach in pain. Debris from the counter top was falling down around him. Shawn gasped trying desperately to catch the breath that was forced from his lungs. Chet seized the flailing boy by the throat as rage guided his every move. He hollered at the top of his lungs as his hands tightened like a vice around Shawn's neck. He pounded the boy's head against the floor with fury. Shawn clawed in terror at his father's unrelenting grip. His voice silenced, his mind cried out, "OH GOD!! HE"S KILLING ME!!"  
  
Shawn reached out for a spindle that lay just shy of his hand; it was his last chance as he began to fade. His eyes rolling round in his head. His vision was getting foggy as he gasped for air. His ears began to ring, the room spinning out of control until it all faded into blackness. Shawn's grip on Chet's hands released as his arms fell limply to the floor. Chet grabbed Shawn by the shirt and tugged as the boy's bloodshot eyes rolled into his head. "SWEET LORD!!! SHAWNIE!!" Chet threw his arms up in panic as Shawn's head rolled to the side. The drunken man began to shiver with fright as reality set in around him. His instincts brought him to his feet as he scrambled for his coat. Shawn still lay motionless on the kitchen floor. Chet ran around the room in a panic, muttering to himself. He took one last look at his fallen son before he disappeared out the door, "OH Lord!!!! I think I killed my boy!!!!" Chet ran aimlessly into the rainy bleak morning, not looking back. 


	10. Chapter 9 Hang In There, Help Is On The ...

Cory and Topanga waited by the doughnut shop almost forty minutes for Shawn to arrive. Topanga held an umbrella over Cory's head as he slammed the payphone's receiver down. "I don't get it, Shawn's phone has been disconnected all morning, I think it's shut off." The curly haired teen grunted, turning to Topanga. "Look Cory, we got to go, if we split a cab we could just make it before first bell." Topanga entered the street and tried to hail a cab. Cory reluctantly followed with his hot chocolate in hand. A yellow cab pulled up and Topanga leapt into the back seat. Just as Cory was about to join her, he looked back at the Styrofoam cup of coffee he left on top of the phone. "No cream, two sugars, just the way you like it." He thought to himself, this was not going to be a good day; he could feel it in his bones.  
  
Shawn remained motionless on the floor of the ransacked trailer, blood oozed from tiny cuts on his hands and knuckles. Deep purple strangle marks swelled on his throat. His head slowly swayed to the left and then back to the right. A low moan escaped his lips as he floated between conscious and unconscious thought. He felt as though he was underwater, his ears only sending a muffled ringing noise to his brain. His eyelids fluttered gently, momentarily revealing his deep blue eyes as they rolled in and out of his head. The sound of glass crackling beneath him, while he tried to move his arms, sounded a million miles away. At first he thought he was entwined in a series of dreams, but then out of nowhere it hit him like a bolt of lightening....PAIN!!!  
  
Ungodly pain, suffering like he has never know, wracked every inch of Shawn's body. He instinctively curled into a ball. As hard as he began to pant, it seemed his lungs were still starving for air. The room began to spin as soon as he opened his eyes; the white parts of both stained red with blood from being strangled half to death. His throat felt like it was about to erupt into flames as he tried to swallow. Shawn tried to slow his breathing, every breath felt like a knife stabbing him in the chest. He tried to focus through the fog, but the room remained just a bright blur. Shawn heard his own groans through the persistent ringing as he tried to roll his body to one side. "DON'T MOVE!!" He pleaded with himself as he grabbed at his side. The pain was sharp and biting, no matter how still the boy tried to be.  
  
Shawn was getting brave as he tried to sit up and lean against one elbow. He instantly regretted the movement as his head swam with nausea and the severe pain enveloped every sense he possessed. He couldn't think, he couldn't move, didn't remember, had no concept of time or space, he only knew he was alive and this was very bad. Willing away the horrific feeling, he made his way to his feet and staggered to the couch. Hugging the cushion to stifle the anguish, he felt himself break out into a sweat. His body seemed to heat from the inside out; every muscle shook uncontrollably, he began to feel very frightened. Closing his eyes he collapsed onto the cushions and invited the blackness once again.  
  
Mr. Giles homeroom slowly filled as Jonathan Turner stood in the doorway, Libby Harper turned the corner with Sarah Gorman, both were enthralled in giddy conversation as they past the young teacher, "Good Morning Mr. Turner?" Libby sweetly greeted, taking her seat in the back. "You guys haven't seen Shawn Hunter yet this morning have you?" Turner asked, glancing at Shawn's still empty desk. The girls shook their heads, just as the second bell sounded and the room filled quickly. Shawn's desk however, remained unoccupied. Mr. Giles strolled through the door and met Jon at the back of the room. The two turned their backs and began whispering as the silent room began to fill with chatter. "I'll let you know as soon as I see him Jonathan." Mr. Giles turned and clapped his hands as Mr. Turner exited, on his way back to his own homeroom.  
  
Cory and Topanga sat silent waiting for homeroom to start, both were a bit preoccupied this morning as uneasy thoughts flowed through their minds. Mr. Turner entered swiftly and took his usual stance at the head of the class. He opened his binder and read off some announcements to the class, he seemed jittery as his glance kept honing in on Cory. Jon passed out a yearbook survey sheet and asked the class to begin filling it out. He summoned Cory to the front of the room. "Matthews, did you walk to school with Shawn today??" Cory shrugged, "No...he never showed at the doughnut shop this morning, I tried to call him, but the phone must be disconnected." Mr. Turner pursed his lips in frustration, "Yeah, well he's not in Giles homeroom, I just came from there." Cory shook his head; "I have no idea where he could be." The boy returned to his seat. Just then the intercom began to broadcast morning announcements, as Mr. Turner left the room in a huff.  
  
Shawn came to for the second time sprawled across the couch, for an instant, he thought he may have dreamed the whole morning. His eyes could see more clearly now. He successfully picked his head up without sending his body spiraling into a spasm. Slowly, he leaned on his arms and pulled himself to a sitting position. The stiff, pain was there just below the surface, but it hasn't grabbed just yet. Shawn felt confident he could get to his feet this time. He put his weight onto the floor and rose gently from the couch, steadying himself by grasping tightly to the armrest. He was fine until he tried to straighten his arched back and then it hit. The burning pain seemed to resonate through his chest and stomach. He raised his arm to wipe the sweat from his torrid forehead. He ceased movement and began to attempt a few deep breaths. It was difficult, but he managed to calm himself slightly.  
  
He stumbled forward to the front door, leaning in on the jam to collect himself. He was definitely not thinking clearly as he swung the door open and fumbled down the front stairs. His body was on autopilot as he concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other, before he knew where he was heading he was miraculously halfway to school.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity he stopped and leaned in on the front of a building. He began to feel very dizzy. The world around him was swirling as he slid down the brick wall. The buzzing in his ear was growing as he lurched forward and threw his guts up onto the pavement. The inside of his mouth tasted like iron, he rested his cheek on the sleeve of his jacket, trying to regain his composure. He immediately smelled the whiskey that has soaked into the material. The scent made him gag harder, while he squeezed his arms around his midsection.  
  
Shawn momentarily gazed into the mess he had made on the sidewalk. He felt the beads of sweat rolling down his face as he panted for air. No matter how hard he breathed, he just couldn't catch his breath. He continued looking down spying blood mixed in with the pizza from last night's dinner, "OH GOD!! HUNTER YOUR IN TROUBLE HERE!!" He thought to himself as he tried to get to his feet again. Shawn inched forward, hold on to the wall for dear life. "I got to get to Cory!!" His brain kept telling him. Autopilot took over once again as Shawn's delirious mind kept telling him to go to Cory, that help is with Cory. Cory will know what to do.  
  
Shawn turned the corner and saw the school up ahead. He managed a demented smile. He was never so happy to see that building in all his life. Although plenty of people passed him on the street, no one seemed to stop and help. He must have looked like just a drunken kid, stumbling home. People just seemed to flash him odd stares, and hurry along past. Shawn entered the school through the service door, and rested on the steps of the maintenance ramp. His body was so hot, he thought for sure he was going to combust any minute. The pain dulled a bit, but it was still overpowering. Shawn thought he had learned to manage it until he couldn't hold a coughing fit back any longer. He moaned in agony as a few tears escaped his weary eyes. He felt like he was going to drop dead any minute as the pain took new form and paralyzed him. Shutting his eyes tight, he pressed on, almost crawling, he inched along and positioned himself into the freight elevator, a place he was all to familiar with. He already knew where he would hide, he already knew how he would find Cory, he just had to hold on a bit longer.  
  
Cory and Topanga sat together at study hall, both were unusually silent this session. Ms. Palmer only had to look up from her book twice. Just then Monica Pressman entered the auditorium in her cheerleading outfit, she strolled up to Ms. Palmer and handed her two slips, "Matthews...Lawrence..." She yelled as she held up the hall passes, "You both have a session with Guidance." Cory and Topanga gathered their things and looked at each other with confusion. Topanga grabbed the passes and handed one to Cory, they were from the Guidance office, signed by Devon Collins. They began up the aisle to the door, "Cory, what's this about?" Topanga asked awkwardly. Cory shrugged, flinging his pack over his shoulder, "I have no idea, I guess we'll find out." He answered holding the door for his girl.  
  
Monica met the two in the empty hall, "Hey you guys, the passes are from Shawn Hunter!! He's hold up in the girl's room outside the Chem. Labs, he plastered!! You guys better go clean him up before Feeny sees him, he'll be expelled for sure!!" Monica turned to walk away as Topanga grabbed her arm, "What do you mean he's plastered??" She asked, her eyes wide with shock. Monica smiled, "You know, he's drunk as a skunk, slurring his words, he can't even stand up!! The whole room smells like a brewery, it's disgusting."  
  
Cory ran full speed down the hall, as Topanga followed behind, they entered the bathroom to find Jennifer Marcum and Wren Davis trying to revive Shawn, who was obviously passed out cold. He was wedged between the toilet and the floor in the first stall. Cory shoved Jennifer away while she was slapping Shawn's cheek lightly trying to get a rise out of him. The girls made room for Shawn's friends as Wren handed Topanga a damp handkerchief. Cory lightly shook his Buddy, "Shawnie...Can you hear me??" he asked almost crying. "He's completely intoxicated, he must have yakked into that toilet twenty times!! He was asking for Cory Matthews, right before he passed out!! He smells like he was hitting the bottle all morning." Wren informed, just before the bell sounded." Look we got to go, he's your problem now." The girls collected their books and left Cory and Topanga alone with Shawn.  
  
Topanga leaned in and felt Shawn's head, "CORY!! HE"S ON FIRE!! WE GOT TO GET HIM OUT OF HERE!!" Cory placed Shawn in a bear hug and began to lift him off the cold floor. Shawn groaned in pain. Cory released him in a panic. "Maybe we should take him to the nurse. He looks really sick." Topanga noticed, while Cory looked him over. He spied Shawn's bruised neck and the marks on his hands. "Oh My God!! Topanga, he's all beat up!!" Cory leaned in and threw his arms around Shawn, lifting his limp body off the floor. He was too heavy, full weight, so Cory sat him on the toilet. Shawn's head bobbed forward as he reached up and swung his heavy arm over Cory's shoulder. "P.Plea..se." he barely whispered, as he opened his eyes a crack. Cory looked up to Topanga with fright, "WATCH HIM!! I'm going for help!!" He screamed, as Topanga took his place by Shawn. Cory ran from the room, leaving Topanga shaking and crying.  
  
Mr. Feeny was just exiting his office when Cory almost mowed him down, "MR. FEENY!!!!!! PLEASE HELP ME!!! IT'S SHAWN!!! HE'S FULL OF BRUISES!!! HE CAN'T STAND UP!!" Cory was hysterical, tears welling in his eyes, his voice cracking with fright. He desperately tugged on Feeny's blazer sleeve trying to get him to follow. "Where is he, Mr. Matthews!!" Feeny yelled. Following behind the anxious teen.  
  
Shawn leaned in on Topanga and tried to stand, "I gotta get outta.." He stumbled into the stall door and fell to the ground. "SHAWN ARE YOU CRAZY!!" She screamed as he tried to get to his feet again. Topanga hovered over him in fear, "PLEASE...JUST LAY STILL!!" She warned as she leaned in and tried to gently push him down, Shawn grabbed her arms and forcefully pulled himself up, "No Teachers!! I just wan.t C..Cory!!" he mumbled as he stood on shaky legs. Topanga placed her arm around his waist and steadied the boy next to her. He led her unwilling out into the hall, just as Feeny and Cory turned the corner. "OH GOD!! Shawn moaned, pushing away from Topanga. The bell sounded, students began to file out from class. Shawn turned his back and tried to run.. Feeny hollered up the hall, "DON'T RUN FROM ME SHAWN!!" Just then Shawn collapsed in a heap onto the linoleum floor. Topanga screamed and fell to her knees in front of him.  
  
"Don't move Him!!" Feeny immediately took charge! He sternly barked orders to anyone in sight! Call an ambulance! Get the nurse! Find Mr. Tuner!! Feeny and Cory joined Topanga on their knees. Feeny yanked his blazer from his shoulders and balled it up under Shawn's head. The boy's completion was almost ashen, his lips slowly turning blue, he was barely breathing, sweat soaking his hair and face. Feeny yelled for a cold towel as he began to loosen Shawn's belt, lifting his t-shirt just a bit, Feeny got a look at Shawn's chest, "DEAR LORD!!" He muttered to the air. Shawn's whole midsection was purple and swollen. Feeny brushed the hair away from Shawn's roasting forehead.  
  
Nurse Anne came charging up the hall with her bag in hand. She dove to the ground and immediately tended to Shawn; she felt his neck for a pulse and placed her stethoscope to his side. Her face was filled with panic as she began blowing forcefully into the boy's mouth. Topanga came up behind Cory and wrapped her arms around him, they watched the scene unfold in horror, both weeping in silence. Feeny grabbed Shawn's hand and lightly shook, "Hang in there son!! Help is on the way!!" 


	11. Chapter 10 Please God, Let Him Live!

A/N This Chapter is full of medical terms and procedure; I am not even close to being a doctor. I just watch a lot of T.V. It may not be 100% accurate, but I hope it's at least believable. I'm shamelessly lazy when it comes to research. I'm glad everyone is enjoying my story. Your wonderful and informative reviews make me keep going!!!  
  
Nurse Anne continued to give Shawn artificial respiration until Joey Mendoza led the paramedics quickly to his side. They pushed everyone clear of the scene so they had room to work. Before you could blink Shawn was in a neck brace and secured to a backboard. Nurse Anne assisted as they jammed a large plastic ventilation tube down his throat. The hall was silent as the paramedics worked. They yelled gibberish nobody could understand, with the exception of the nurse, who's face paled every time the vitals were broadcast. Her expression scared the hell out of Cory, who for the first time imagined life without Shawn.  
  
Jonathan trudged open jawed up the hall, his face visibly pale. He clasped his hands over his mouth in shock, spying Shawn lying on the floor amidst the chaos. Turner's pace quickened significantly as he approached, he was just about to pounce when Feeny stepped in front of him and forcibly held him back. Jon struggled in the older man's grip, yelling into the air, "WHAT HAPPENED?? WHAT'S GOING ON!!! SHAWN!!" Turner's face twisted in anguish, tears visible in his dark, frightened eyes. He crouched to the floor, Feeny whispered in his ear, rubbing his back in comfort. It was too much to take, he leaned his head onto George's shoulder momentarily to liberate a few agonized sobs, before returning his eyes to the scene.  
  
Nurse Anne sat on the floor and manned the plastic bag connected to Shawn's mouth; Cory was almost hypnotized by the rhythm of her hands, miming his own breathing after hers. Every once in a while she reached up and gently stroked Shawn's head, almost motherly. Both the paramedics and nurse spoke directly to him, using his name as much as possible. If he was aware and could hear them, he was probably petrified. The paramedics were quick and somewhat rough with the frail, ailing child.  
  
Cory felt phantom pain deep inside himself with each new tube and needle they harshly thrust into Shawn. He silently prayed as he sat on the floor helpless while his friend's life hung in the balance. Topanga turned away, as fresh blood flowed from Shawn's chest, after the paramedic made an incision for another big tube. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand to watch. Topanga glanced up, just in time to see two large police officers take Feeny and Turner aside. Cory gathered up each piece of torn and cut clothing that was taken from Shawn, and held them close, protecting the boy's personal things. He also gathered up the silver chain and pendant Shawn always wore around his neck, it was ripped off in haste.  
  
Time seemed to stand still in the hall. One more check of the vitals told the paramedics it was time to move out. "Clear the way!!" they roared as Shawn was transferred to a gurney, Turner followed close behind, not even stopping to retrieve a jacket or coat. He only had one thing on his mind, staying with Shawn. Feeny shooed the other students to class, they hadn't noticed the bell sounded an eternity ago. He leaned down until he faced Cory, "Put Shawn's things in your locker and meet me in my office in ten minutes!! They're taking him to Jefferson Hospital, I will drive you both there, after we call your parents." Feeny snapped his fingers, his face grim as stone. Topanga called behind him, "But Mr. Feeny, What about class??" She asked, getting to her feet. "There's no such thing as class today, I'm afraid." He responded as he hurried away.  
  
Amy was working on her second load of laundry, since coming home from work early. She cheerily answered the phone with a warm hello.  
  
"Amy!! It's George Feeny, something awful has happened!! Shawn Hunter collapsed in school....They rushed him by rescue squad to Jefferson Hospital about five minutes ago!!" Mrs. Matthews gasped into the phone upon hearing the news. "I'm going to Take Cory and Topanga there with me now, both the kids are quite hysterical!!" Amy stuttered as she nervously paced around the kitchen table, "What happened, is he going to be alright??" A million questions riddled her mind, fear seeping into her soul. With a sigh, Feeny answered, "I don't know, it looks bad, Amy!! It looks real bad. The police escorted him down there, they're aware of the situation. I'm afraid they're going after Chet with both barrels for this."  
  
Mrs. Matthews immediately called her husband at the grocery store; she relayed what little information she had to him, half crying into the phone. "Amy, look...STAY THERE!! I will come and get you and we'll go together, I don't want you driving." Mr. Matthews sternly barked into the phone, releasing some pent up anger and frustration, "Leave a note for Eric to stay home after school, so he can pick up Morgan." Amy hung up and dawned her coat and scarf in a flash. She sat silent on the couch, rocking back and forth. Tears fell from her eyes. She wasn't surprised at her reaction to the news; she's known and loved Shawn since he was a toddler. Her heart held a special place for him practically all his young life. "He's too young to die!!" she agonized to herself, waiting alone. Shawn's short and troubled life flashed piece by piece, through her mind, as she buried her face in her hands and cried.  
  
Jonathan was frazzled as he tried to steady his quaking hands. He could hardly hold the pen or see the print on the stack of forms that were shoved in front of him. He tried desperately to follow Shawn into the Emergency Room, but two orderlies and a nurse halted him at the door. Shawn was whisked out of sight before he could even reach out to touch him. The ambulance ride was dreadful. Shawn couldn't manage one voluntary movement. The boy refused to take a single breath on his own. Jonathan found the whole experience very disturbing, watching helplessly as the paramedics toiled to keep Shawn's fragile heart beating.  
  
Suddenly a familiar face entered the hall, Kelly Krause from Social Service, and the two officers from the school hurried over to Turner. "Jon, how are you holding up, I was floored when I reached the school and they told me what happened." Turner winced at the sound of her voice, "How could this have happened... WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM FROM ME!!!" Jonathan couldn't hold back the unbridled emotion growing within. "You should have left well enough alone, maybe Shawn would be okay now, and maybe he wouldn't be struggling for his life." Turner's voice cracked, his expression wracked with desperation and fear. Kelly bowed her head, "I know your upset, Mr. Turner. I understand your hurting, but accusations and assigning blame isn't going to help this situation, "I'm here now to help you regain custody of Shawn, and see you through this terrible burden."  
  
Turner pulled up a chair and placed it next to his own. He looked Kelly in the eye; filled with renewed determination "You want to help me? You want to fix this? Well you do whatever you have to do to make Shawn my legal son by midnight tonight!! When that boy opens his eyes, I want the first thing he sees to be me, the person who loves him, the person who will never again leave him, the father he deserves!! You make that happen today." Kelly smiled and squeezed Jon's shoulder, "Let's get started."  
  
A few hours later Alan and Amy nervously ran through the emergency room entrance, they immediately saw Cory, Topanga and George sitting in the busy waiting room. "How is he? Where is Jon? What happened??" Amy questioned as Cory ran and buried himself in his mothers' arms. His face stained with tears. "Jon is still in admissions with Ms. Krause and the police, he knows were here waiting for him. They're having trouble with the insurance Jonathan got for Shawn earlier this year, it seems it all voided when Jon's custody of Shawn was revoked, it's a big mess."  
  
Feeny explained to the anxious couple how Jon was fighting to adopt Shawn. He filled them in on how the police were investigating Chet for Shawn's attack. How he fled and was at large. Mr. Feeny described to the shocked couple how they were going to charge Chet with Aggravated Assault, Reckless Endangerment, even Manslaughter, if Shawn was to succumb to his injuries. He relived the horrid events of the morning for them, the only thing he couldn't do was ease their minds. The doctors still hadn't brought them any news of Shawn. The only sliver of information they received was that Shawn was in the ER and the trauma team was doing everything possible to save his life.  
  
Jonathan emerged, looking tired and shaken as he joined the small crowd in the waiting area. "It looks as though Shawn's gonna need surgery, I have temporary power of attorney back, so finally I was able to get him admitted, if the insurance didn't go through they may have transferred Shawn across town to County General. Jon sank exhausted into a chair beside Amy. All eyes peered apprehensively toward him. "They only told me to come up here and wait, the doctors are still running tests and treating him. They said it's touch and go, but as soon as they know more they'll give us an update."  
  
Now the waiting game starts. Time seemed to crawl at a snails pace as the idle minds of Shawn's loved ones raced with uncertainty. The solemn expressions and rivers of tears were abundant as everyone took turns loosing control. Cory was probably the hardest hit. His life seemed to revolve around Shawn. He just couldn't accept that Shawn may not be there when the sun rose tomorrow. He was lost in shock and heartache, and for the first time, no one could ease his pain. It would take more than a pep talk and a few kind words to right the wrong he was facing. What a cruel lesson to learn for such a tender young man. For now he sat between his mother and his girl, taking solace in their presence beside him. Hoping and praying for one more chance to see Shawn's face, to hear his voice, to share a laugh. Never would he take anyone for granted again. You don't appreciate the value of friendship until you're in danger of losing it. Only then do we realize its worth, when it's just too late.  
  
After countless coffees and boring magazines, a few stolen naps and a couple of quick walks about the halls, the doctor made a brief appearance. Everyone rose in anticipation as the young surgeon approached. "I'm Doctor Harold Fleisher, I'm the primary surgeon treating Shawn."  
  
Doctor Fleisher shook Jon's hand and continued, "Shawn is stable at the moment, chest x-rays confirm Shawn received severe blunt force trauma to the right side of his chest, several ribs have been broken free, He's suffering from what is called hemothorax, this occurs when blood fills the pleural cavity of the chest. It compromises the expansion of the lungs and blood flow to the heart, we've inserted a chest tube and drained the fluid, but Shawn's lung has not responded. He's been intubated and hooked up to a ventilator; right now the machine is completely supporting his respiration. Because of the nature of the fractures, a section of Shawn's chest wall has separated, an ailment known as flail chest, this is also a key factor inhibiting Shawn's breathing. The lung itself has been seriously lacerated and bruised, and both of the great vessels have been damaged. As soon as Shawn's blood pressure and oxygen levels improve and we can get him into surgery and repair the damage. He's been hemorrhaging fairly heavily, and he's lost a lot of blood. He was in hypovolemic shock when he was brought in. We've got him on IV fluids and his circulation is improving. His Lateral C-Spine was good so we've taken him off the backboard. He's still comatose, but he is stabilizing"  
  
Jonathan's exhausted and clouded mind could not comprehend the Doctor's evaluation. "I just want to know if he's gonna be okay, I wanna see him, can I see him??" Jon pleaded, as the doctor turned to go. "I'm sorry Mr. Turner, I don't know yet, Shawn is still very dodgy. But I can tell you he's young and very strong and the odds are in his favor, we'll no more after the surgery. You can see him as soon as he's moved into the ICU, we'll keep you posted from the Operating Room. Please excuse me, I have to get back to Shawn." The young doctor patted Jon on the arm and walked briskly through the Emergency Room doors.  
  
Soon after a nurse greeted the group as they sat. "Shawn is ready for the anesthesiologist, before we proceed we need you to sign some consent forms." She sat beside Jonathan and presented a series of standardized forms, she gently explained each one and showed him where to sign. When they were finished, she explained that Shawn would be moved into surgery. It could take several hours, and then he would spend some time in recovery, after that he would be moved into intensive care, where he could have visitors. The nurse encouraged the group to take some time to grab a bite to eat and maybe some shut eye, because they faced a long night ahead of them.  
  
In the cafeteria Cory sat and fiddled with his food. "I should be having lunch with Shawn right now, its taco day..our favorite." Topanga shoved her tray forward also not very hungry. Amy and Alan both nursed a cold cup of coffee, while Jon stared blankly at his cheeseburger. George scanned the group seated around him. He also shared their uneasy feelings, but felt the need to lift their spirits.  
  
"I know you all are pretty scared right now, but we have to have hope!! I believe in Shawn, I am confident that he will survive this, he's the strongest boy I've ever laid eyes on and I'm not going to give up on him!! Besides, he has too much to live for. He has a best friend who would do anything for him, a new father to mold and guide him, a home full of love and happiness. Good friends and family surround him. Shawn is much too selfish to give up on all that. We have to have faith in him." Feeny sat down and began to eat his salad. Slowly the others joined in and ate with him, a sense of hope began to fill the air. Feeny took another glance around the table and was satisfied, he smiled on the outside, but cringed on the inside. He said a silent prayer, "Please God, let him live, don't take him from us now. We need him more than you do." The waiting game continued. 


	12. Chapter 11 I'm No Good Without You!

A/N: Sorry for the delay in uploading this chapter, Fanfic went off line for a few days, and then the biggest snow storm ever hit the east coast, which stranded me away from my computer!! (I knew I should have asked for a laptop for Xmas) Anyway, Thank you all for your patience and understanding, Hope you enjoy!!  
  
Jon was downright exhausted as today turned into tomorrow. He sat silent in the surgical waiting room. Just Feeny remained with him this late hour. The Matthews departed a few hours ago, much to Cory's dismay. Alan and Amy had to almost drag him out of the hospital. He put up quite a fight, but unfortunately his parents prevailed. It was too much for him to remain; after all, he was just a kid. Only after Amy agreed to bring him straight back first thing in the morning, and Feeny promised to excuse him from classes, did the curly headed boy agree to go. It was just as well; the probability of seeing Shawn tonight was slim to none.  
  
The nurses were very sympathetic to George and Jon throughout their ordeal. They visited and consoled the frightened men almost hourly as the long and rocky surgery continued. George was like Gibraltar the entire day. He arranged for a substitute teacher to take over for Jon the rest of the week, so he could concentrate on Shawn. He toggled between social services and the police on Jon's behalf. He constantly ran to fetch food and drinks for himself and Jon. He made two trips to Jon's apartment to bring him comfortable clothes and paperwork. But most importantly he was there with a consoling word and a strong shoulder to lean on when needed. Jonathan gained a new found respect for the man, not only as his boss, but also as a treasured friend.  
  
Jon was just about to nod off for the hundredth time when a nurse summoned him and George to follow her into the post-op consultation area. They jumped from their seats and were on her heels in a flash. They anxiously waited on pins and needles for Doctor Fleisher to arrive. Jon turned to George and managed a smile, "Post-op this is good, it means Shawn came through the operation." He rubbed his cold hands together and shook out his stiff neck. George returned the grin, with a tired shrug.  
  
Doctor Fleisher entered the area, still dressed in his surgical scrubs. A hint of his blonde hair peeked out from under his cap. Smiling, he shook Jon's hand vigorously. Taking a seat himself, he removed his shoe coverings as he spoke. The Doctor was pleased with the surgery and confident that Shawn would have no permanent damage or disfiguration from the injury. Recovery however was another story. Although Shawn survived the operation, he was not out of the woods. He explained that Shawn was already showing signs of a serious infection, and starting to run a high fever.  
  
Doctor Fleisher opted to move Shawn directly to the ICU from the OR, but he wouldn't be able to have any visitors until normal visiting hours tomorrow. Jon's heart broke as he heard the news. He just wanted to see the boy, whisper a few words into his ear, and hold his hand. George sensed the disappointment and gently patted Jon on the shoulder.  
  
Doctor Fleisher tried to ease Jon's mind by telling him that even if he were to see Shawn, the boy wouldn't be aware of him anyway. The surgeon thought it best to keep Shawn in a drug induced coma for another twenty four to thirty six hours, to give his body an opportunity to heal. Shawn was completely dependant on artificial ventilation, which is much too traumatic and painful for a conscious person. The Doctor informed Jon and George that they would run a barrage of tests and get Shawn on the best course of medication as soon as possible, and that every effort would be made to ensure his survival.  
  
The Doctor also said he was cooperating with the police fully, and would supply them with a full report of Shawn's injuries first thing tomorrow. Doctor Fleisher okayed a department investigator to take extensive photographs of Shawn's bruises for evidence, as soon as the boy was healthy enough to be accessible. Jon winced at the thought. He didn't like the idea, but had no choice but to comply. The Doctor was both informative and courteous. He stayed and answered every question posed to him, except one. "Doc, is he going to make it?" Jon nervously asked again.  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Turner, it's still too soon to tell, Shawn's condition is critical, but stable. We're doing everything we can. I can tell you this though, what really makes me angry is that if this boy had gotten proper medical attention immediately, he would probably have been discharged by now. How this boy managed to bring himself to school in his condition, is beyond me. Shawn is young and strong-minded, but he did sustain quite a savage beating. Whoever is responsible for doing this to him should be punished to the full extent of the law. " The Doctor excused himself and returned to Shawn. Jon and George remained alone in the waiting area. Both were stewing on the Doctors parting words.  
  
George glanced at his watch and decided it was time to call it a night. He unfortunately did have to be in school tomorrow. "Jon, I have to go now, I have an eight a.m. meeting with Guidance tomorrow, but as soon as I get things on track and update the vice principal on the schedule, I'll be back here as fast as I can." George stood and dawned his coat. "George, please don't go out of your way, you've helped so much already, I don't know what I would have done without you today, and I don't know how I'll ever repay you.." Jon yawned and rubbed his tired eyes.  
  
"Think nothing of it Mr. Turner, you and Shawn are both very special to me, and I hold you in higher regard than just a fellow teacher and student. Please call me at home if anything else happens tonight, and I'll see you tomorrow." The two exchanged handshakes and a bit of an embrace before Feeny walked out of the waiting room, leaving Jon lonesome among the empty chairs. He settled himself in on a small sofa and aimlessly glared at the television set overhead.  
  
His brain swam with uncertainty and fear; he slowly gave way to the exhaustion. He slept restlessly, cramped up on the small, uncomfortable sofa. Waking frequently he was aggravated at how slowly time passed. Every glance at his watch brought disappointment. Jon was slowly starting to drive himself crazy. He tried to read, sleep, pace, watch TV, nothing would ease his troubled mind. Finally as the sun began to peek through the blinds, a merciful nurse finally took pity on him. "Mr. Turner, visiting hours don't start until nine, but I talked to the Doctor and he'll allow you access, if you promise to be very quiet and respect the other patients." Jon nodded aggressively and briskly gathered his things.  
  
Turner melted with emotion as the nurse led him into intensive care; the ward was so silent the hum of moving time could be heard in the air. She showed Jon past the nurses' station and down a quiet corridor, "Shawn is struggling terribly against the respirator, we had to utilize very strong narcotics to sedate him enough to let the machine take control, he's a very stubborn boy." The young nurse, smiled as she opened the drape to Shawn's cubicle. Jon's knees buckled at the sight. Shawn looked so small and frail in the raised hospital bed. Tubes and lines connected to large intimidating machines were all about him. Jon's stomach grew queasy as his ears listened to the beeps and bells and pumps and buzzers of all the equipment sustaining Shawn's fragile body.  
  
Jon froze in the doorway, unable to take a step closer; his eyes nervously scanned the room as he unconsciously held his breath. Shawn looked as though plastic tubing and tape were literally holding him together. He lay so still it sent chills up Jonathan's spine. "You can come closer, it's a bit shocking I know, but you will get used to it." A single tear hugged Jon's cheek; he sniffled and moved in for a closer look. "What's your name?" he asked, wiping his eyes. "I'm Beverly, you can call me Bev. I'm the nurse assigned to Shawn for the next thirty six hours." She smiled as she began to lower Shawn's bed so Jon could settle beside him. He awkwardly pulled up a chair and sat down, his eyes level with the rails on the side of the bed.  
  
"As long as your sitting here, I think we can lower this, you won't let him fall, will you." Beverly swung the rail down as Jon leaned over, shaking his head vehemently. "Can he hear me, if I talk to him?" The pretty redhead smiled as she gently lifted Shawn's arm to take his blood pressure and pulse. "It's hard to say, he's under pretty deep, but you never know, we encourage as much interaction with the patient as possible. It's important to talk to them, touch them, and comfort them. Just the sound of a familiar voice can be extremely soothing, don't be afraid to touch him, take his hand."  
  
Jon reached out his own shaking hand and softly held Shawn's, no reaction what so ever was a bit hard to handle. Jon held his breath as his eyes scanned Shawn top to bottom. The boy's face was as pale as driven snow, his sweat soaked bangs looked almost black as they stuck to his forehead. His chest was packed in gauze and bandages, the edges, and Shawn's skin around them, stained bright yellow. "What's this?" Jon questioned, gently running his finger over the filmy residue. "It's Duraprep, it's used to sterilize the area for surgery, and it will fade in a few days, very normal." Beverly smiled as she jotted notations on Shawn's chart. Jon closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.  
  
Beverly softly raised Shaw's eyelids and shone a penlight into each eye a few times. Jonathan peered closely, alarmed at what he saw. Shawn's pupils were oddly large and the whites of both eyes blood red, "OH GOD!! What's wrong with him?" Jon whispered, glancing at Beverly in confusion. "It's okay, the pupils are enlarged from the medication, and the broken blood vessels were caused by the asphyxiation, he was strangled hard enough to burst microscopic blood vessels running through his eyes, it's okay, it will heal, his vision if fine, I'm sure." Beverly sympathetically placed a hand on Jonathan's shoulder as he took a few quivering breaths, almost loosing his composure.  
  
Beverly tilted Shawn's head slightly sending the respirator buzzing loudly. Jon nearly jumped out of his skin as he leapt from the chair, "NOO, OH MY GOD!!" Beverly waived her hands, as Jonathan grasped his chest, she leaned over and reset the panel, "Relax!! Just relax Jon, it's a vent alarm, any movement or motion will set it off, get used to it because Shawn's only been down here a few hours and already he's set it off a dozen times." Beverly giggled as she took Shawn's temperature, placing a thermometer gently into his ear. "Your young friend likes to bite on that tube, as soon as he's conscious, I'm going to yell at him!!" Jon managed to crack an awkward smile as he plopped back into the chair, his heart thumping a mile a minute.  
  
Beverly finished scribbling onto the chart and returned it to the plastic shelf at the foot of the bed. "His fever is on the rise, I'm going to have to page the Doctor again." Beverly glanced at her watch, starting to crack an icepack at the mini sink in the corner. "This should keep him cool until we can get some meds into him." Beverly placed the pack firmly onto Shawn's forehead as she brushed his cheek with the back of her hand. "I'll be back soon, please make yourself comfortable, I'll bring you some juices in a few minutes. What kind do you want orange, apple or pineapple??" Jon grinned tiredly, "Orange, thank you that sounds great." He leaned onto the bed and took Shawn's hand again. Beverly drew the curtain and stepped out, "The call button is on the right, push it if you need me." She hurried away, leaving Jonathan alone with his ailing charge.  
  
Jonnie sighed heavily as his eyes soaked up the tragic scene. He grabbed a few tissues from the table and leaned in wiping the beads of sweat from Shawn's face and neck. "What can I do kiddo?...How can I make this all go away?..." Jon leaned against the rail, holding the icepack firmly on Shawn's head with one hand and stroking his limp arm with the other. He rested his head on the bed as his eyes watched the mechanical rise and fall of Shawn's chest. It was almost robotic as the machine thrust oxygen into Shawn's unresponsive lungs. Jon lovingly brushed the hair from Shawn's eyes, "Okay, little buddy!! You better listen up Shawnie, you can't leave me you hear!! I need you kid!! I'm no good anymore without you, so you got to fight this!!"  
  
Turner squeezed Shawn's hand with determination. Pursing his lips he vowed to stay by Shawn's side and guide him home, "You're stuck with me, buddy boy!! I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not going to shut up until you wake up and yell at me." I might even lecture on and on about the classics, Shakespeare, Beowulf, The Iliad, The Odyssey, the list is endless!! You know me Hunter; I can talk till the cows come home!! You get better fast and..maybe I cut you a break!!" Just then Jon felt a faint movement under his hand, looking hard into Shawn's face, he smiled. Hoping it wasn't his imagination. 


	13. Chapter 12 Welcome Back!

The desk Sergeant at the twelfth precinct lazily sorted through the mail, a hot rod magazine catching his eye. The officer couldn't help but page through it. He was so enthralled in the reading he didn't even notice the tired man in the flannel coat approach. "Excuse me, Sir.... I'm here to turn myself in!!" The young cop looked up from the magazine at the disheveled sight before him. "For what?" He asked, eyeing the vagrant a few times. "My name is Chet Hunter, I killed my son a few days ago, I need to be put away for what I did to my boy." Chet pathetically extended his arms across the desk, and bowed his head in defeat. The Sergeant raised an eyebrow and slapped a set of metal cuffs on the older man's wrists, "I suggest you have a seat my friend, "It's going to be a long day.  
  
"It's starting to snow pretty hard outside." Cory observed as he sat on the windowsill of Shawn's room. Amy and Jonathan were beginning what was turning into marathon rummy. "I guess we could play to a thousand." Amy smiled, shuffling the cards with ease. John rubbed his eyes and turned to study Shawn. "God I wish he would come around, It's been almost five hours since they stopped the medication, he should have stirred by now." Jon sighed in frustration. "Be patient Jon, the doctor said it would take time, I'm sure this is normal."  
  
Jon glanced at his cards, rolling his eyes in frustration. Cory leapt from the windowsill and pulled up a chair next to Shawn. "Hey Shawnie, It's starting to snow, If you hurry up and open your eyes, I'll get you a snowball." The curly headed teen smiled, patting his best friend on the shoulder gently. Cory lowered the rail on the side of the bed and leaned in closely. Propping his head on his arms he pulled the small television close. Placing the speaker between his head and Shawn's.  
  
Flipping through the channels Cory's eyes widened in delight, "OH LOOK MY SHAWN, BAYWATCH TIME!! This should bring him around Mr. Turner." John glanced over to the television and smiled, you want to bring him around, tune to headline news and blare the speakers in his ears, he'll cringe...Eli forces him to watch it at home all the time, it drives him nuts." The three giggled, just as Nurse Beverly entered the room, "Did I miss a good joke?" She greeted, grabbing hold of Shawn's expanding chart. Bev started to examine Shawn, like she did every half hour like clockwork. "His vitals are good, his temperature is normal and his breathing is strong and steady, he could be off this machine in a day or two." Jon shook his head reluctantly, "I just want him awake, what's taking so damn long?"  
  
Jon balled his fists in frustration. "Easy Jon, Shawn's coming off the tail end of a serious postoperative infection." The nurse opened the wrapper on yet another medication bag and hung it next to the countless others on Shawn's IV stand. "It will take some time but he should be conscious by days end." Hooking the line into the catheter at the base of Shawn's neck, she set the infusion pump and tucked the plastic tubing beside his pillow. Taking her trusty penlight in hand, she shone it into Shawn's eyes and smiled.  
  
"Very good response, we should see these baby blues in an hour or so." Beverly returned the light to her hip pocket. She reached over and rubbed Shawn's sternum hard with her knuckle, "Come on Shawn, your fan club is eager to see you, you better wake up before they go mad!!" Jon giggled and rubbed his eyes, while Beverly yelled loudly into Shawn's ear. Just then the boy crinkled his nose and moved his head. "HE MOVED!!" Cory jumped up and pointed with vigor towards Shawn. Beverly laughed, "Pain.. unfortunately is the best stimulus, works even better than baywatch." Jon looked around in awe, "I MISSED IT!!" he yelled as he hurried to Shawn's side. "He moved and I MISSED IT!!" Jon cursed himself under his breath.  
  
"Don't sweat it Jon, start talking to him and asking him to squeeze your hand, I'm sure he'll respond, he's coming around fast. I'll be back in thirty, you guys relax and be patient okay!!" Beverly reached into her pocket and slipped Cory a cherry life saver, "Your favorite!" She whispered with a wink. Cory popped the candy into his mouth, smiling ear to ear, "She's delightful!!" he exclaimed out loud. John leaned in and grasped Shawn's hand in his own, "Hunter!! Let me know your in there kiddo, give me a sign!!" John pleaded with the still boy, to no avail. Sighing he shook his head in defeat. Amy leaned over and placed her arm around the frustrated man.  
  
Amy rose and stretched her tired legs, placing her arms around Cory's shoulders; she leaned in and lovingly gave him a squeeze. "Come on handsome, lets say you and me take a walk to the gift shop and stock up on candy and magazines." Cory smiled and took his mothers hand, leaving Jon alone with Shawn. The room was quiet, except for the sounds of the machinery. Jon was starting to loose his cool, he was about ready to give up when finally Shawn began to stir. The boy's serene expression darkened, he furrowed his brow. Shawn grasped aimlessly at the blankets by his side, shifting uncomfortably. Jon's jaw dropped in shock; he scrambled for Shawn's hand. "Easy, easy does it kiddo, it's okay, and you're okay!!" Jon worriedly reached for the call button, holding tight to Shawn, who was visibly becoming more and more uncomfortable. Beverly hurried through the door, "What's up Jon?" She asked, taking her stethoscope from around her neck.  
  
"He's thrashing around pretty good, I think he's in pain, can't you do something??" Jon pleaded, softly grabbing Shawn's hands as they randomly reached out to the air. The boy's eyes remained shut tight, while he weakly writhed about. "He's going to be very uncomfortable and really disoriented, just talk to him and try to calm him down a bit, I'll page the doctor." Beverly took a quick set of vitals and snatched the phone up; dialing swiftly, within moments Doctor Fleisher was heard being summoned to the ICU.  
  
Amy and Cory were just about to enter the room, when Jon caught sight of them. He hurried to the doorway, "Look guys, why don't you head to the café and grab some snacks okay." Jon anxiously stared at Amy hoping she would take his cue and keep Cory away from the room a bit longer. Amy glanced over John shoulder and glimpsed Beverly struggling with Shawn, "Good idea, Come on Cory, lets go grab a bite." Amy turned Cory toward the door as the boy stretched to see into the room, "No, I'm not hungry, what's wrong...What's happening??" Amy forcibly ushered the frightened teen from the room. Doctor Fleisher rushed past them, pulling the drape closed behind him. Jon could hear Cory pleading, Amy leading him down the corridor. He quickly returned to Shawn's side.  
  
"John get around and get in close to him, talk to him, try to get him to calm down. Doctor Fleisher leaned in and grasped Shawn by the wrists, "Shawn, relax son...steady...steady..I need you to relax..." Shawn looked as though he wanted to scream, but helplessly couldn't make a sound. Jon stroked his head and soothed, "Shhhh. It's okay Shawn, I'm here, open your eyes." Doctor Fleisher continued to coax Shawn into consciousness as Jon shook with anticipation. Before long both men were rewarded, Shawn's eyelids fluttered lightly, his eyes rolling about trying desperately to focus, "GOOD BOY!! FOCUS ON JON!!" Shawn clutched Jon's shirt and opened his eyes wide. Scanning the room in shock, his mind spinning in confusion, "Shawn, can you hear me??" Jon questioned as he rubbed the boy sympathetically on the arm. Doctor Fleisher smiled and introduced himself as Shawn peered at the three in horror. In a soft and soothing voice, Jon explained to Shawn that he was in the hospital and he was in good hands.  
  
A few tears fell from Jon's eyes while he consoled the very frightened boy. Doctor Fleisher quickly took over and began to examine Shawn extensively; he tested his reflexes and peered into his eyes. He asked Shawn a series of questions and instructed him to answer by lightly squeezing his hand or blinking. Shawn complied politely obviously overwrought with pain. Both The Doctor and the nurse continued to treat Shawn as Jon was ordered to wait outside, his heart broke to leave the boy looking so scared and shaken, but he had to follow the Doctors orders, he stepped out, his hands shaking a mile a minute.  
  
John leaned up against the wall outside the ICU, Amy and Cory joining him in the hall. Cory's face was stained with tears, while Amy's expression tense and rigid. "What's going on, what's the matter, Mr. Turner?" Cory questioned, his voice cracking with fear. "Nothing, Nothing's wrong, just calm down. It's okay, Shawn is conscious, he's awake, but he got real scared and he's hurting pretty bad, we just didn't want you to see him like that, the Doctor is with him and they're going to take good care of him, I'm sorry we scared you, we didn't mean it." Jon patted Cory on the back as the boy released a few quick sobs. The three anxiously waited for word from the Doctor.  
  
Meanwhile as the snow fell heavily outside, Chet was lead into Lock-up in shackles. The Detectives leading the search for him anxiously met him in the station's interrogation room. After declining his right to an attorney several times the man just wanted to get it all off his chest. He collapsed in relief on the steel table as the police informed him that Shawn was alive and slowly making a recovery across town. Tears fell from his eyes, dripping onto the table before him. The detective placed a tape recorder and microphone in front of the guilt ridden man, who began confessing in lurid detail, his pitiful actions of a few days ago. His voice heavy with remorse, he painted a grim picture as the tape captured every sorrowful word. Kelly Krause, from DHS eavesdropped outside the room, watching the scene unfold behind the two-way mirror.  
  
Doctor Fleisher emerged, smiling broadly. He greeted the shaken trio. "He's doing fine, as soon as some test results come in from the lab, we can administer pain medication, we have a rush on them, so he won't be uncomfortable for too much longer. All his senses seem to be sharp and his vitals signs are good. He is experiencing some memory loss and disorientation, which is normal for this kind of trauma; it will come back in time. I've ordered an Arterial Blood Gas for Shawn tomorrow at six, if the test comes back good, we'll take him off the respirator right away, until then he can't speak, I can tell that's going to be very hard on him, so do your best to keep his mind occupied." Jon nodded as the Doctor continued.  
  
"He is very weak, so he may want to sleep most of the day, if he does, let him, he needs all the rest he can get, to get his strength back. We'll keep the feeding tube in him for a few more days until he can breathe easy on his own, then we'll get him started solid foods"  
  
The Doctor returned to his rounds, Amy, Cory and Jon rushed almost giddily back to Shawn's side. Nurse Beverly was still with him trying hard to help Shawn relax through his pain. Jon crept up next to him, beaming with glee as the boy glanced up at him. Shawn managed a weak smile, Jon leaned in and grabbed his hand, "Hey buddy, you sure gave us a huge scare!!" Shawn silently stared at Jon with tired eyes, trying desperately to stay focused on his face.  
  
Amy leaned in and kissed Shawn gently on the forehead. Shawn winced and closed his eyes tightly. He grasped the bedrail hard, unable to hide his misery. Jon glanced at Beverly, his expression wracked with anxiety. Cory backed away, stiff with worry. Amy interrupted, "Look it's going to be a long hard night, maybe it's best if we leave Shawn alone until he's feeling better, I don't think he's up for company right now." The nurse and Jon both nodded, Cory sighed, visibly disappointed. The Matthews left the room hand in hand, Shawn barely noticed their departure, he was much too preoccupied with pain.  
  
Jon set his mind to the task at hand, it was hard to watch Shawn struggle, but he jumped right in and did his best to help. Placing a leg up onto the bed he leaned in and wrapped his arm around Shawn firmly. The boy welcomed him with desperation, resting his head upon Jon's chest. Shawn reached countless times for the ventilation tube secured to his mouth, but never got hold of it; Jon finally felt the need to hold his hands for a while. "I can't imagine what your going through, buddy, but I'm here, we'll take it minute by minute, you just lean on me and we'll get past this." Beverly hurried back with a small syringe, injecting Shawn's IV, "This will help ease the pain enough for him to get some rest." She disposed of the remnants in the small red container mounted to the wall. Within minutes Shawn felt heavy against Jon, his eyelids drooped sluggishly until they closed permanently, his arms limply resting within Jon's strong grip. The weary man wriggled out from under Shawn as Beverly situated the boy back into the center of the bed.  
  
"You did great, Teach!! Bravo!!" Jon smiled and shook his head, "This is going to be harder than I thought it would." Jon commented, plopping into his usual red leather seat, next to Shawn. Beverly dimmed the lights so the room was dark and peaceful. She adjusted Shawn's blankets and tidied the carts and medication trolleys in the room. She and Jon exchanged small talk as Shawn slept fairly sound. Jon surprisingly confided in her with much detail about his rocky relationship with Shawn and his family. He explained his plans to make Shawn a permanent part of his life. The two talked into the night, stopping on occasion to tend to Shawn, who was having an extremely restless time.  
  
Eventually Jon gave way to his weariness and fell into a deep sleep, curled up in his chair. Beverly remained sharp, checking and rechecking Shawn's progress, dressings, medications, the myriad of monitors, machines and lines sustaining the fragile boy at the center of it all. Close to morning Shawn woke once again. His eyes darting back and forth as he soaked in his surroundings, his mind a bit clearer then before. He caught sight of Jon sleeping beside him and smiled. Beverly approached; reaching gently she took Shawn's arm and checked his pulse. "Feeling a little better?" Shawn rolled his eyes and silently nodded.  
  
His neck stiffened as he searched for a more comfortable position, obviously annoyed with the respirator. "Don't you worry, were going to get rid of that thing tomorrow, hopefully." Shawn toyed with swallowing and taking a few deep breaths. The pain and pressure still overwhelmed him, but he was managing and controlling it like a pro. Beverly occupied the boy with a one way conversation as time slowly passed. She told him all about the surgery and what's been happening since he arrived. She filled him in on his visitors and well-wishers. She raved about Jon and how he hasn't left Shawn's side throughout the entire ordeal. Shawn took comfort in her words and nodded in and out several times during the night, finally dawn greeted him as the doctor arrived with good news, time to pull the breathing tube. Jon was asked to again leave the room, reluctantly he complied and paced about outside.  
  
After a half an hour passed, the Doctor emerged with a smile. "Tube's out and he's doing fine. He'll be in a lot of pain for a while, but he's breathing all right on his own. He's passing a lot of blood through the chest tube, but it's probably because of all the moving around he's doing, we'll monitor it closely, but he's progressing very well. He'll be on oxygen for a while until his lungs get stronger and heal a bit more. Make sure he keeps the mask on at all times and very little talking, his throat will be very sore and the muscles may spasm. The tube passed right through his vocal chords, so his voice will be extremely raspy, it's all very normal. I'll return after lunch to check on his progress."  
  
Jon shook the doctors hand and was just ready to return to the room as Kelly Krause approached, "Jon, I have some news, Chet turned himself in to the police yesterday, he was arrested and booked. He confessed to everything. He's scheduled to be arraigned today at nine; the police and counsel expect him to plead no contest to all charges. He could be sentenced as soon as tomorrow morning. I'm here to break the news to Shawn." Jon leaned in on the wall and sighed in aggravation, "I don't think he could handle this just yet, can't we wait to break it too him, he's been through so much already?" Kelly placed her briefcase on the floor and folded her arms; "I don't think we should keep this from him Jon. By the way, we got a verbal agreement from Chet and Shawn's other relatives that they wouldn't contest your petition for adoption, with the exception of his biological mother, who can't be located."  
  
Jon's mind swirled, his knees felt weak as he processed the information before him. Frankly it was a bit more than he could even take at the moment. "Look, lets grab a cup of coffee and go over this, I have some forms for you to sign as well..." Jon shook his head, "No, No way!! I got to get back to Shawn; his health is my top priority right now!! I'm his legal guardian and I say no. I assure you Kelly, I will tell him about his father and we will discuss the adoption, but now is not the time. Leave the forms with me and I'll go over them this afternoon and get them back to you ASAP." The young woman reluctantly handed over the forms and closed up her case. Turning to leave, she stopped "I'll call in with more information on Chet when I have it. We can't proceed with the adoption until we get an interview with Shawn, Don't delay Jonathan, please time is of the essence here." The two exchanged stern glances as Jon returned to Shawn.  
  
His heart nervously thumped inside his chest. "This is it", Jon thought to himself, "the moment I've been waiting for." Jon lightly treads into the room. Shawn was laying quietly, the respirator a memory, replaced instead with a hard plastic oxygen mask. Jon crept in and sat in his chair, just as he was quietly lowering the rail, Shawn stirred, their eyes met, he smiled and weakly reached out for Jonathan. Jon broke down with emotion. He moved close, only inches from Shawn's ear, whispering lightly, "Welcome back, I was terrified I would never see you again..." 


	14. Chapter 13 Talk To Me, Tell Me What You ...

Jon read through his stack of adoption forms as Shawn continued to sleep the day away. Jon felt so sorry for the boy, every time he seems to doze off someone comes in and rouses him. Just this morning alone, he endured two blood tests, a breathing treatment, and had his bandages changed twice, and it was only approaching three in the afternoon.  
  
Jon was so caught up in the forms, he barely noticed George Feeny sneak into the room. "Greetings!!" He whispered, trying hard not to disturb Shawn. Jon glanced up and smiled as George placed his things onto the rolling table at the foot of the bed. George peered over and studied the teen, while removing his heavy gloves, "He looks good, how's he doing?" Jon stretched and rose to greet George, "He's doing okay, he's in a lot of pain, but every time it gets out of hand, they dope him up pretty good.. It's going to take time. He hasn't really said too much yet, his throat is pretty sore, so he's not real talkative. After a few words he gets real winded. All he wanted to do today was brush his teeth, when he finished that he slept for two hours, he's pretty weak."  
  
George and Jon shared a giggle while Feeny unpacked some items from his canvas bag, "I figured his throat would be tender so I brought him this." George pulled out a pint of chocolate water ice and placed it on the table. "I also knew you wouldn't be moving from that seat, so I brought you this." Feeny produced a double Philly Cheese steak and tossed it over to Jon. "George, you are a god among men!!" Turner unwrapped the sandwich and dug in gleefully. Nurse Bev strolled through the door, her usual cheerful self. "OOOHHHH WATER ICE!!! They musta thought you were crazy buying that in a blizzard!!" George chuckled, "They did!! Is it okay if he has this??" George queried, Nurse Bev shook her head and smiled, "Only if I can have some too." George leaned onto the bed rail, "Your more than welcome."  
  
Nurse Beverly approached Shawn and took his vitals, like clockwork. While she was cleaning the lines on his IV, she accidentally woke him again. "Sorry sweetie, it's my job!!" Shawn rubbed his tired eyes, with his free hand. Moments later Beverly returned his left arm, after she was finished. Beverly leaned over and brushed some stray bangs out of the boy's eyes, as she removed the plastic mask from his face. "Thank God!!" Shawn silently mouthed as he scratched his nose. "Not so fast junior, were not finished." She replaced the mask with a more comfortable oxygen cannula, which fit just under Shawn's nose. The boy fiddled with the tube as Beverly crossed her arms, "Don't touch, hospital property, you break it, you buy it." Shawn smiled as he fidgeted to try to sit up. Jon reached in and raised the back of Shawn's bed, stopping just shy of a sitting position, as Beverly shot him the thumbs up. "There, now your ready for water ice." She stated as she placed the pint on his table. "Compliments of Mr. Feeny." Shawn's eyes lit up as he rubbed his sore throat.  
  
"I'll be back in a jiffy with some cups and spoons, water ice party in Shawn's room." She joked as he hurried out into the hall. George, rose and dug deeper into his satchel, pulling out two large piles of cards and letters, "These are just some of the well wishes from your fellow students, it seems your quite popular in the halls of John Adams, we make a daily announcement during homeroom regarding your progress."  
  
Mr. Feeny smiled as he handed Shawn the cards, Shawn caught his sleeve and tugged for him to move a bit closer. George leaned in and looked him in the eye. "I..just..wan. wanted to..say..Thanks!!" Shawn breathlessly whispered. The older man patted his arm, "Think nothing of it Mr. Hunter. Just know one thing...Don't ever run away from me...Run toward me. You should know by now, I would never hurt you." George firmly grasped his hand. Shawn closed his eyes and nodded, trying to catch his breath. George pulled up a chair and settled, as the phone rang on the side table. Instinctively, Shawn reached for the receiver, Jon snatched it away, before the boy could follow through, "Are you kidding me, it would take you ten minutes to say hello!!"  
  
Shawn and Feeny smirked as Jon greeted the caller. Turning his back he began to converse, with some hesitation. Feeny caught Jon's cue and tried to distract Shawn, "So Mr. Hunter, I peeked through and saw cards in there from Libby Harper and Veronica Watson. You might want to read those first." George stated, raising his eyebrows. Shawn's attention was immediately drawn to his letters. Thumbing through, he pulled a pink envelope from the middle of the pile and ran it under his nose. "Oh man, Channel.. I think it's number five." He whispered, ripping the card wide open with a groggy smile. Feeny smiled back, "That must be Libby." Shawn nodded, starting to read the inside.  
  
Nurse Beverly returned with cups and spoons as promised. She began to dig into the water ice while Jon finished up his call. He hung up the phone and sighed, signaling to George to meet him in the hallway. Shawn was too enthralled in his reading to notice their departure. Once a good distance from Shawn's ears Jon felt it safe to talk. "That was Kelly Krause, she got a court date for me, next week, she wants to go ahead with my petition for adoption, they need to sit down with Shawn before Wednesday. Chet pled Guilty at his preliminary, this morning, they held him over for sentencing, he'll be behind bars by the end of the week, his brother Leo from Ohio is already on his way to take possession of the trailer and clean up Chet's affairs, they suggested I be at his allocution tomorrow morning, which means I got to break all this to Shawn by tonight!!! I can't do this George, I mean I'm going to fall apart, I just can't do this right now!!"  
  
Jonathan began to pace nervously, running his fingers through his hair. His voice quivered with fear. George placed a firm hand on his shoulder, "Pull yourself together, Jon. You have to be strong for him, you have to do this, if not now, When??" Jon rolled his eyes and exhaled, "It's gotta be now...Please George, stay with me, I need you to help me. I'm afraid I'm going to screw this up big time." Feeny crossed his arms. "I'll stay if you want but this is not my business Jon, this is a very personal moment that should be reserved for you and Shawn only. Believe in yourself!! Trust Shawn!! You can do this..have faith." George patted Jon on the back. The two men stared eye to eye for a few moments. Jonathan finally, reluctantly, agreed to go back alone.  
  
George gathered his coat and things, "Oh well, I'm off, I have a few errands to run before I head home and the weather is getting pretty bad, I will call you both this evening." George firmly shook Jon's hand, holding on a bit longer than normal. Jon winked, his hand trembling. Nurse Bev followed George out, leaving Jon alone to face his fears.  
  
He lowered the rail to Shawn's bed and sat gently on the edge. Shawn looked up from his cards and immediately noticed the panic behind Jon's eyes. Placing the stack aside, he bit his lip and sat up as best he could, "Jon...what's wrong?" he asked, his eyes heavy with anticipation. "Shawn, I didn't want to hit you with this right away, but I don't have a choice. That was Kelly Krause on the phone; some things have been going on that you need to know about. Now you know what your dad did was really bad right?" Shawn closed his eyes and turned away, "OH GOD!! Please don't Jon, I can't deal with this right now." Shawn covered his eyes and began to squirm. Jon gently grabbed his wrists and leaned in closer. "Shawn!! Look at me and answer me, you realize what your father did to you was inexcusable, that he crossed the line this time." Shawn's eyes began to well with tears, looking Jon square in the face, he shook his head, "I don't even remember it Jon, and it's all a blur. I know he hurt me, but I can't remember what happened."  
  
Shawn's lip began to quiver, but he kept his composure. Jon placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and continued. "Your dad, beat the daylights out of you and then left you for dead. He choked you so hard your eyes bled, and then he walked away. What he did is a crime, the beating he inflicted on you is beyond criminal. Even your dad realizes he went way to far this time because he turned himself into the police and begged for them to arrest him." Shawn shook his head violently, tears rolling from his eyes, "NO!! NO he doesn't belong in jail, he needs help, he didn't mean it!! He wouldn't.."  
  
Jon placed his arms gently around Shawn as the boy began to cry, "I know this is hard Shawn and I know your going to defend him and excuse him and forgive him, like always, but the fact of the matter is your dad is in too deep this time and the state stepped in on your behalf and they are going forward with punishing him this time. He's gonna do time for this Shawn, he needs to do time for this."  
  
Shawn sobbed, his face buried in Jon's chest. Shawn heaved heavily under Jon's gentle grasp, as he lovingly stroked the boys back. "SSSHHHH, please try to calm yourself down..Just breathe..Try and relax...You can't afford to spin out of control right now..." Jon's gentle encouragement helped soothe Shawn back into control as the boy steadied his breathing. After a few minutes Shawn leaned back and looked up at Jon with swollen, tear soaked eyes. "What's going to happen to him?" he whispered, barely audible.  
  
"Well, he's in custody right now, tomorrow he has to go to court and tell the judge in his own words what he did and how he feels about it and then the judge will tell him his punishment, it's called sentencing, he will definitely do jail time for what he did to you, he could do anywhere from two to ten years. It's up to the judge." Shawn gasped, his eyes shut tightly, "TEN YEARS!!" He yelped, his voice cracking with shock. "Jon pursed his lips, "He's lucky it's not life!! Do you realize if he choked you for one more second you would be dead right now?? Think about this Shawn!! He's lucky you survived. With one stupid momentary lapse of judgment, he almost ended your life. You should be angry at him, he's got you so screwed up that you can't even see how much pain and suffering he's caused you, a few years in prison may bring him to realize how much damage he's done to you. Maybe one day YOU'LL realize that your life and well being is worth more than you think." Shawn stared wide-eyed at Jon, soaking in his words. A stray tear falling down his cheek, he took a deep breath.  
  
Jonathan grabbed Shawn's hand and squeezed, "This whole experience made me realize something, kiddo!! I know now that you mean more to me than anything on this earth, almost loosing you was a real wake up call for me. It was a wake up call for your dad too!! He wants to go to jail Shawn, I know that sounds crazy, but he's hit rock bottom and knows this is the only way for him to clean up his act and maybe salvage what's left of his life. He didn't even want a lawyer or anything he just wants to be put away before he hurts anyone else." Shawn leaned back into his pillow, exhausted. Looking up he sighed deeply. "What's gonna happen to me now, Jon?"  
  
Jon braced himself, it was now or never, his heart began to thump wildly inside his chest. His hands trembled with fear. Saying a silent prayer he locked eyes with the uncertain child in front of him. "Shawn...I should have done this a long time ago, I can't change what's happened, but I can do something to make sure it never happens again. When I saw you on the floor of the school, a heartbeat away from dying, I realized I was about to face my biggest fear. This whole thing was like a terrible nightmare. I realized you're the most important person in my life. I love you like a father should love a son. Before I knew it I was totally committed to you, to your life, and when I was in danger of losing you.. I couldn't handle it.. I fell to pieces..I need you Kiddo, I need you back with me, where I can protect you and guide you and be with you...I've been working with Kelly since you left, I filed a petition to adopt you, I want more than anything to have you as my son. But no matter how much I want that to happen..It doesn't mean anything unless you want it too, the only thing that matters in this world is what you want, and whatever that is Shawn...I'll make it happen.  
  
Jon wavered; a stray sob escaped his lips. Shawn sat silent. His eyes were the epitome of shock and confusion. He couldn't believe his ears, momentarily wondering if he was dreaming or hallucinating. Shawn felt very winded and a little faint, it was all too much to handle for someone so weak and fragile. He felt as though he would pass out any moment. Jon leaned in, a bit concerned. It seemed as though it was an eternity of silence, "Shawn, talk to me, tell me what you want?" 


	15. Chapter 14 Im Feeling Pretty Lucky!

(A/N Sorry for the delay in updating!! My computer dropped dead and I lost everything and like a fool, I didn t back anything up!! Shameful!! Well after a few long months I finally got the problems fixed and am back up and running. Thanks to all the reviews and readers, the next chapter will be the last and I hope you all forgive me. I won t let you down again and hopefully my new computer will last me a long time. Side note, I can t seem to upload any word with an apostrophe, so I took them all out to post the chapter. Also I had to replace all the quotes with brackets, hope it s not too confusing.  
  
Shawn lay silent, staring aimlessly out the window. The steady snowfall continued to drop from the sky; day was slowly turning to night. Jon anxiously gazed at the weary child before him. Their earlier conversation endlessly looped through his mind. It was hard to read Shawn, his expression was blank, his eyes were drawn, and he looked as though he may have slipped into a trance. Jon was beginning to get alarmed, Its been hours since he spilled his guts to the kid, laid it all on the table, asked Shawn to choose him as his only father, asked Shawn to make the toughest decision of his young life. And now, it seemed Shawn has withdrawn deep into himself. Not a word spoken, not a hint of movement, the whole situation deeply disturbed Jonathan, his insides began to shake, as he subliminally begged Shawn to give him a sign.  
  
Jon was terrified to push any harder, opting only to be silently available to the catatonic child. His mind swam with regret, maybe this is too much, maybe I was wrong, what should I do, how can I help him? The questions kept coming, like waves crashing into the uncertain man, paralyzing him with fear and panic. The room was so silent; Jonathan swore he could hear the pounding of his own heart from all corners. The clock struck seven, Jon couldn t take it anymore, and the silence was tearing him to pieces. Jon stood and slowly moved closer to the boy, leaning in he stroked his hair, {You don t have to decide this now} Silence was the bitter response, Shawn closed his eyes and exhaled, a single tear rolled down his cheek.  
  
Jonathan reached up and pulled the chain on the overhead light, filling the room with sudden darkness, Shawn sat bolt upright, his eyes wide with fear, {NO JON!! NO DARK!! I HATE THE DARK} Jon scrambled to restore the light, his shaky hands fumbling for the chain. The light flickered and took; Shawn immediately grabbed the shocked man by the collar and weakly pulled him close. Jon wrapped Shawn in a hug and breathed a sigh of relief as the boy buried his head in Jon s shirt. Jon could feel Shawn give way in his arms as he began to release the pent up anger and frustration within. {Don t you ever leave me Jon!! Everyone I try to love leaves me, why should you be any different?} Shawn sobbed, gasping and choking uncontrollably. Jon gently rubbed the boy s back, trying to calm his fears, { I m not going to leave you STUPID!! Because I m selfish!! I can t stay away from you!! You see Shawn I need you as much as you need me.}  
  
Shawn pulled his flushed face away from Jon, his eyes gushing with tears. The boy shook his head in awe, {I just can t believe this is happening, nobody ever chose me, I don t know what to do with this Jon!! I can t understand why you would want me, I can t do anything for you, I just mess up your life over and over and over again, I m no good Jon!! You just don t know it yet, but Ill bring you down and if you adopt me, your stuck with me, you cant throw me away, why the hell would you want to put up with THAT!!} Shawn s voice was getting loud and hoarse, his body shaking uncontrollably. The weak child wavered as he gasped for air. Jon grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back into the pillows. {Calm down Shawn, please just relax!!}  
  
Shawn struggled to catch his breath, his eyes wide with fear as he clutched his side. The boy could no longer speak, as Jon fumbled for the call button. A few minutes later the summons brought Beverly quickly into the room. She pushed past Jon to tend to Shawn, {What is going on in here, I thought you had strict orders to rest and keep your trap closed!!} Beverly wrestled Shawn s arms away and opened the protective bandages about his midsection, exposing the rather unpleasant incision beneath. {Well, you pulled on it pretty good, and aggravated the hell out of it, but it doesn t look as though anything is torn away.}  
  
Beverly continued to care for Shawn as Jon paced about nervously; wracked with guilt he silently chastised himself for allowing the boy to get out of hand. Beverly gathered various items from the trolley and continued, while assessing Shawn s appearance. He d managed to regain control of his breathing, but still looked pained, his eyes were moist with tears and swollen, his nose running profusely. Shawn sniffled aimlessly, wiping his nose with his arm. Beverly sneered as she reached up and removed the oxygen line from Shawn s nose. Gathering two tissues she handed them to him, {Here, blow gently!!} Shawn gingerly blew his nose, as Beverly dawned her trusty stethoscope, placing it upon his chest she listened intently. {Just as I thought!! It sounds like you ve been running a marathon in there!!}  
  
She turned her stern glare toward Jon, he read her thoughts and shook his head, {I m so sorry, we just got a little carried away, it wont happen again.} Beverly re packed Shawn s chest tight and disconnected the oxygen line, rolling the tubing she disposed of it into a yellow bin and began to unwrap another mask, hooking it into the wall, she tested the oxygen flow with the palm of her hand. Shawn weakly protested, {Please no, I wont talk I just} Beverly motioned for Shawn to zip his lips as she placed the mask over his mouth, adjusting the elastic straps tightly. {You want to run that mouth, run it through here.} Beverly pulled the drawer of the medication trolley open and chose a small vial, piercing the top with a needle she drew a small amount and injected it into Shawn s IV, {You cant relax on your own, we have ways of making you.} Beverly adjusted the line wide open and Shawn felt its effects almost immediately. Shawn rolled his eyes and tried to blink them back into focus, {oh man} He whispered as his arms and legs began to feel like lead.  
  
{Now I just have to remind you two, this is the ICU, leave your baggage at the door, once you move down to the wards you can carry on all you want, but while your up here with me, you behave yourselves. I don t want a single word outta you for the rest of the night!!} Beverly wiped a stray tear from Shawn s cheek as she punished him. Shawn was already looking quite looped as she dimmed the light. Jon followed her to the doorframe. {I do apologize again, I just wasn t thinking} Beverly cut the man off and patted his arm, {Look Jon, don t apologize, just try to keep his mind off of things, he cant afford to get upset and over exert himself, Shawn is in a very touchy place right now, the only thing he should be concentrating on now, is getting better, he s come a long way, but he s not out of the woods yet.} Just as Beverly was about to leave, Mr. Matthews, Cory and Topanga entered the room.  
  
{Hey, how s it going in here?} Alan asked as Beverly pursed her lips, {ICU rules are only three visitors at one time!!} Cory melted away behind a smiling Topanga, {I m not here!!} He whispered. Beverly glanced about the room and smiled, {Oh It s a shame you didn t bring Cory with you tonight, well when you see him give him this.} She handed Topanga a roll of lifesavers and smiled, with a wink she was gone. Cory popped up again with a giggle, {She s delightful.}  
  
Everyone settled into the room as Cory and Topanga peered at Shawn. {Oh my GOD!! He looks so sick.} Topanga observed, whispering softly. {He is!!} Turner answered as he plopped into his usual seat, Alan joined him, hoisting himself onto the window ledge. {What s up Jon? Is everything okay?} Alan asked worriedly as Jon stretched his legs out in front of him. {No its not okay, this room is closing in on me!!} Alan jumped from the ledge and placed a hand on Turners shoulder, {Look why don t we take a walk and leave the kids to visit, I think you need to get out of here for a while.} The two men left Cory and Topanga with explicit instructions to leave Shawn rest and not touch anything while they took a small stroll to the cafeteria for some coffee, not trusting his son, they also left word with the nurses station.  
  
Cory pulled up Turners chair and leaned in to study Shawn s sleeping face, {Hey buddy, I m here!} He whispered as he grabbed Shawn s hand. With that Shawn opened his tired eyes and smiled, {You guys are a sight for sore eyes.} He greeted, obviously under the influence of heavy sedatives. {How are you feeling?} Topanga asked as she leaned in and smiled to her good friend, {Woozy!!} Shawn responded, {they gave me this stuff earlier, I feel like my body weighs a ton, other than that I m doing better. Beverly says I may be moved outta here day after tomorrow if I behave myself Which I haven t been doing all day.} {What do you mean?} Cory asked as Shawn lifted a heavy arm, struggling to lower the rail to the bed. {Leave that alone, Shawn!! Its there for a reason!!} Topanga hollered.  
  
{Please, I m not a baby, this thing is on my nerves anyway.} Cory jumped up and helped Shawn release the latch to lower the rail. {Its okay, I m here, and I wont let anything happen, now what gives?} Cory stated as he sat back down, fidgeting into a protective position by his best friend. Shawn smiled at the obvious gesture. {Well Turner and me kind of had words and I flaked out on him, it wasn t pretty, I really lost it!} Topanga pulled up her own chair as Shawn continued, {He wants to adopt me, he wants me back with him, my dads gone up the river for this, so that opens the door for Jon to adopt, and he signed the papers, what an idiot!!}  
  
Topanga furrowed her brow in confusion, {I don t understand, that should make you happy, isn t that what you wanted all along.?} Cory nodded in agreement. {Yeah, I did but I see now that I m killing him, having me in his life is ruining him, I have to get away from him and fast.} Shawn explained as he rubbed his eyes. {SHAWN!! Are you sure your brain wasn t damaged!! Turner is spa zing because of almost losing you, he loves you, and you should have seen him this whole time, ever since the night you left his house he s been lost. All he can think about is how to get you back, and deep down you know that s what you want too, so why are you giving him a hard time??}  
  
Topanga couldn t take her eyes off the purple ring around Shawn s neck; she could almost imagine how horrific it must have been to go through that ordeal. Shawn noticed her glances and quickly covered the bruise with his collar. {Look Cory, lets be honest here, The only thing that s prompted Jon to move forward with this is what happened, if he really wanted me for a son he would have signed when he had the chance, I know that, and he knows I know. I m a jinx, I cant hold onto people because I don t know how to, I end up hurting everyone, Jon is better off without me!!}  
  
Cory wrinkled up his nose with disgust, {You are a piece of work Shawn, case in point!! How long have we all been friends??} A silence came over the room as Shawn looked to Cory with confusion. Topanga also shadowed Cory s sediment. {Really Hunter, how long have the three of us been together?} Cory questioned with intensity as Shawn s eyes shifted from him to Topanga and back. With hesitation, he sighed, {Almost all our lives, I guess.} Placing his hands on his hips, Cory smiled broadly, {Are we hurt, are we miserable?? No way!! I couldn t pick a better best friend if I had my choice of anyone on the planet. Do you have any idea what your friendship has given me over the years? If it wasn t for you Id still be the goofy, no confidence, lonely kid I used to be. I never would have had the guts to ask Topanga out, or stick up for myself or do half the things I ve done. I can t remember a time where you haven t been there for me. So don t you ever feel like we d be better off without you?}  
  
Topanga grabbed Shawn s hand and squeezed tight, smiling and nodding at Cory s words. {Maybe when we were kids you were a little mean and teased me, but I think we ve grown as good friends too. After that fiasco with Little Cory the pig It made me realize what a good person you are and how much you deserve to be happy…Well, heres your chance. Turner is a wonderful guy, you two make a great team, he needs you as much as we do and he really wants you back with him for good, it would be mean to deny him this chance, just because you re a little scared and unsure of the future. Maybe you don t have as much confidence in yourself as we do, but Cory, me, Jon, Mr. Feeny, we all took a vote and it was unanimous, your stuck with us whether you like it or not, your loved Shawn, by a lot of people, for once in your life let go and see what it feels like to let someone care about you.}  
  
Just then Jon and Mr. Matthews entered the room, Alan patted Shawn on the head, {Hey kiddo, how you feeling?} he asked with a smile. Shawn grinned groggily as his eyes shifted to Jon, {I m feeling pretty lucky right now.} 


End file.
